


Come Here

by Crazyloststar



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: (off screen and not our boys), Alternate Universe - Horror, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Blood and Violence, Eventual Relationships, Explicit Sexual Content, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Multi, Polyship Roadtrip, it follows AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2020-06-30 00:16:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 39,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19841539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar/pseuds/Crazyloststar
Summary: Noctis goes out on a date. They have no idea just how much will change because of it.The answer is everything. It's more than they ever anticipated, because who knew curses and ghosts were real?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> shout out all those who cheered me on as I panicked about this, seriously. <3
> 
> No knowledge of the movie needed, this goes off in its own lore and is explained within!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> W̙̺̜̕h̼̥̦̺͞a̧͈̯̪̙t҉̟̰͔̖̞̯ͅ ̛͉̭̱̱̗͚̬d̛̯̞͓̼̠̱̫o̧̲̻ ̮̫̣̯͔̻̣y̴̞̼͓͚̫ͅơ̫̤͚͍͔͔u̞͇̜̟̭̮ ̧̘̠̲͔̤w̱̤̞͓ͅa̷̲n̢͔̹̮t̺͈̟͕̝̳ ̕f̝̥̘̞͜ͅr̺͔͜o͇̯͇̰͍̠m͓̯ ̤̕m̥͡e͏̭̖͖͓̞̱͚?̭̠͖ ̝̹̪̳͔̼̭Wḩ͎y̨̻̟̝̹ ̳͍̗̞̭ḍ̜̟̹o̕n̠̯̦͡'̞͇̬̞̩͉ț͍̼̤ ̻̳̺you̖̳ ̤̼̞̗̘̗̝r͚͕̤̫ͅu̻̝͝ͅn͕̣̘̼̪̞̕ͅ ̣̺͓̘͔͝ͅf̠̻̳͝r͏̩̪̬o̟̜m̶͎̘̩͚̣̖ m̱ͅȩ̻̭̩̥͙?͏̬̳
> 
>   
>   
> “Wait, wait wait. Wait. So you helped! Him go out!” Prompto fell forward onto his stomach and jabbed the carpet with a pointed finger for extreme emphasis. Ignis looked down his nose at him. Prompto scowled back.
> 
> “You let him go out with a guy named Dino. That’s the stupidest name ever. We can’t let Noct date a guy named Dino, what’s wrong with us?”
> 
> “Fear of rejection.”
> 
> “Obsessive dedication to my closest and oldest friend.” 
> 
> “You guys suck.” Prompto focused on sending a flurry of emojis to Noct for the tenth time in five minutes. “If he doesn’t respond soon I’m calling.”
> 
> “You’ll do no such thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you have any questions or concerns about what might lie within, please check out the end notes before reading!

Prompto let out an overly-dramatic sigh as he stared at the ceiling of Ignis’s apartment. “This is the worst. Why are we doing this?”

Prompto was on the floor, face up, phone held up in front of him, but he tilted his head back to see the others instead of just focusing on the shadows.

Gladio looked up from the book he clearly wasn’t reading. Ignis glanced over from the cooking documentary Prompto _knew_ he wasn’t paying attention to.

“Doing what, sitting here enjoying a quiet evening?” Ignis turned the TV down and adjusted his glasses. Gladio just grunted.

Prompto stomped his heels onto the ground. He was so not in the mood for them to play dumb. “Sitting here, while Noct is out. Alone.”

“He’s on a date, Prompto.” The matter of factness of Ignis’s words just made Prompto even more agitated.

“Not with us!” He sat up. “He is not on a date with any of us, and you know why? Because we all _suck_.”

“That’s rude.” Gladio put the book down on his knee and gave Prompto a stern look. “What were we supposed to do?”

“Oh I don’t know, not be a bunch of idiots and tell Noct that we all have it bad for him.” Prompto rolled back onto the ground and resumed staring at his phone. He was being ridiculous, sure, but the feeling in the back of his mind that he, or they, or someone, should have done something, anything, so Noct wasn’t out with someone else. He would rather they were with any of them, and not some rando. Ignis and Gladio were both hot as hell, Prompto would definitely jump either of them, surely Noct would --

“Sure, that would work.” Gladio spoke and knocked Prompto out of his near fantasy. He could almost taste the sarcasm in his tone. “Great idea. Why don’t you tell him then?”

Prompto groaned and showed his annoyance by staring at his phone, Noct’s name burning into his eyes.

“I understand, Prompto.” Ignis sighed. “You’re not wrong.”

“Hey!” He heard the sound of Gladio shifting in his chair.

“Well, he’s not. We’ve been wallowing in the self pity of our own feelings, instead of addressing them, and now Noctis is out on a date because he wanted to be in a relationship and none of us came off as available and-.”

“And now he hasn’t texted me in _three hours_.” Prompto interrupted. Ignis was right, but the more important matter at hand was he hadn’t gone this long without a text from Noct since that time Gladio stepped on his phone during training.

“If he went to dinner and a movie, he could be in the middle of the film right now.” Ignis spoke so calmly Prompto was about ready to scream. “And, if he went to a movie and _then_ dinner, he might actually be trying to have a conversation with his date. Like a civilized person would.”

“Do we even know this guy’s _name?_ ” With Prompto, Noct had been dodgy on the details. Noct had met this guy on a dating app, and didn’t want to say anything in case it didn’t go anywhere. It was the first time in recent memory Noct had withheld information and it made Prompto’s chest tight, tighter than when he put together that Noct had resorted to going onto a dating app.

“Dino.” Ignis again, so factual. Wasn’t he freaking the fuck out too?

“First of all, how do you know that?”

The TV was muted as Ignis finally came to grips with the fact that he couldn’t avoid this conversation. “I manage his schedule, you know that. I had to ensure he was free tonight.”

“Wait, wait wait. Wait. So you helped! Him go out!” Prompto fell forward onto his stomach and jabbed the carpet with a pointed finger for extreme emphasis. Ignis looked down his nose at him. Prompto scowled back.

“You let him go out with a guy named Dino. That’s the stupidest name ever. We can’t let Noct date a guy named Dino, what’s wrong with us?”

“Fear of rejection.”

“Obsessive dedication to my closest and oldest friend.”

“You guys suck.” Prompto focused on sending a flurry of emojis to Noct for the tenth time in five minutes. “If he doesn’t respond soon I’m calling.”

“You’ll do no such thing.”

“Oh ya? Wha-hey!” His phone was plucked from his hands by Ignis before he could hit send on another message. He rolled over and swiped at ankles but missed. Prompto whined and rolled and buried his head into the carpet.

“He’s going to be fine,” Gladio said, but Prompto didn’t believe him and he was pretty sure Gladio didn’t believe himself. Whatever Ignis said, it was still weird.

They never were apart, not really. There was always at least one person with Noct at any given time. Either Ignis was with him at work, or he was training with Gladio, or he was hanging out with Prompto playing video games. If they weren’t all three together, like they currently were. Prompto was just as used to the presence of the other two as Noct at this point.

It felt off, the three of them without Noct. All the stupid pining and unrequited feelings they all shared aside. (Okay maybe that had something to do with it. A little.)

“One more hour.” Ignis spoke as he sat, and crossed one leg over the other. The phone rested on his lap. “Then you can call.”

Prompto rolled up with all the whining and groaning he could muster before plopping himself down on the couch beside Ignis. He made sure to sit so close their bodies pressed against each other from shoulder to knee, just to make his point clear. Ignis only huffed a little but didn’t make to move away.

“One hour. To the second.”

“Of course.

Prompto huffed and pulled his feet up under him as Ignis turned up the TV volume. He tried to focus on the show, something about a small town in Niflheim and how they used olives as a major part of their diet or some shit. But he spent the whole time fidgeting, picking at the hole in his jeans, glancing at his phone which Ignis eventually flipped over so he couldn’t see the screen.

At precisely 59 minutes, Prompto grabbed his phone before Ignis could bat him away. He jumped off the couch and dialed Noct - it had been four hours. He had to be reachable now.

He paced the living room while the phone rang, glancing up at Ignis and Gladio every now and again. He knew they were worried. He saw through how they both only pretended to be ignoring him, how they watched him out of the corner of their eyes. But unlike Prompto, they had resigned themselves to their fate and didn’t want to seem clingy.

But clingy was Prompto’s middle name. Maybe. He was adopted, no one could argue with him.

As the phone kept ringing, Prompto’s pulse quickened. He couldn’t remember it ever taking this long for Noct to answer a call.

Finally, Noct picked up. Prompto let out a sigh of relief. “Hey buddy! Just wanted to-”

The sound on the other side wasn’t Noct speaking. It sounded like there was a struggle, voices muffled on the other end and the phone getting dropped maybe. Prompto listened as hard as he could. He stared at Ignis with wide eyes until the other two finally caught on that something was wrong and sat up, watching Prompto.

His throat was dry with fear, but he forced himself to speak. “Noct?”

“No, don’t- I’m sorry,” a low voice that was very much _not_ Noct could be heard through the rummaging sounds. Then the phone hung up. Prompto lowered his phone and stared at it.

Prompto was fucking _done_ sitting around. He looked up. Ignis and Gladio were up in an instant.

Prompto bounced and pointed towards the door. “We need to get to him. Now. Something isn’t right.”

They were both on the move, Gladio getting a baseball bat and knife while Ignis opened up his laptop on the counter.

Lucky for them, Ignis was paranoid as all hell most days, and they had what Prompto would consider a healthy obsession with true crime, and so they each had an ‘if I go missing’ folder to use in any event where they couldn’t be found. Ignis would claim it was part of his job as Noct’s assistant, but he always took extra measures that no one else probably would. Sometimes the Lucis Caelum family, while now just an old money name of a family who were into philanthropy, still had some crazies after them because of their lineage, their ancient history.

It was all kinds of weird and complicated, too much so for Prompto.

Within minutes, Ignis had a lock on Noct’s phone location, and they were running down the stairs for Ignis’s car, not in the mood to wait for the elevator.

“So where is this? Seems middle of nowhere, that’s not good.” Prompto stared at the phone as he slid into the front seat. His worry was about to build into total panic meltdown if Noct wasn’t in front of him soon.

Gladio leaned forward, his hand lingered on Prompto’s shoulder. “Looks like it’s where I go for training sometimes, an old abandoned warehouse in the industrial zone.”

Yup that was the very definition of _not good_. “Shit!” Prompto hit the side of the door. No one chastised him for it.

As Ignis drove and Prompto watched the dot marking where Noct was, he explained the call. As the dot didn’t move, the feeling of dread in all their stomachs increased, noted by the way Gladio leaned forward in between the two front seats to also stare at the screen, and how Ignis had both hands tight on the wheel, jaw clenched and didn’t demand Gladio put on his seatbelt.

Prompto had thought (okay and maybe hoped) the date would go bad - but he didn’t think it could be something like _this._ Like the shit on the podcasts they all listened to level shit. He tried not to think about the news lately, about the bizarre murders that had popped up in a few places around the city.

Had their dumbass inability to be honest with Noct gotten him killed?

 _Fuck_ .

It felt like it took hours, but with the way Ignis drove it ended up being just under 15 minutes before they could see the busted-up building in the distance. Ignis turned off his lights and pulled in slowly. Prompto was thankful for the quietness of the electric car.

They pulled up next to another car, and fine it was a nice sleek black car but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that one of the back doors hung open. The blood in Prompto’s veins went cold.

“Guys,” he nearly fell out of the car as he opened the door. He ran around to check inside, slipping on the gravel and actually falling onto his knees. He clung to the open door. The backseat showed signs of...something. There were clothes. Noct’s clothes. His boots.

His phone, there, on the floor under the driver seat. Screen down.

“Shit shit shit!”

“Prompto, quiet, they could be nearby.” Ignis closed the trunk slowly. He handed Prompto a gun, and he checked it with ease. Gladio had his bat, and Ignis a long knife.

They all looked up at the building. There was a cone of light coming from the top floor, but otherwise it was dark. It was just an open concrete building, no windows, with graffiti all over any blank space a person could reach.

A perfect place for a fucking murder.

Prompto took a breath. Then another.

“Come on,” Gladio moved first. They walked quickly and quietly, making their way up a dilapidated staircase and towards the source of light. Prompto just kept praying to whichever of the astrals listening, that they weren’t too late, that Noct was safe.

He wasn’t trained to fight, but he had spent time in the shooting range for fun. But Gladio was fit and taught self defense. And Ignis had been in martial arts basically his whole life. He hoped it was all enough to face whatever they would have to deal with. It was just one guy (right?), it couldn’t be that crazy. Three on one seemed like a quick win.

As they reached the top of the stairs at the final floor, Gladio held up a hand. He slowly looked around the corner first, and by the way his grip tightened on the bat, Prompto knew. Noct was alive. Not injured, if Gladio wasn’t immediately leaping into action as a ball of rage. At least there was that.

“Hey asshole!” Gladio shouted as he stepped through the doorway. Ignis and Prompto followed just behind, weapons at the ready.

But Prompto couldn’t have anticipated what they walked in on.

This guy, this fucker named _Dino_ , stood in the opposite corner from where they entered, as far away from the door as possible. He looked as if he expected someone to show up.

He had Noct tied up in a chair, a rickety one on shitty wheels, sitting only in his underwear, shivering and clearly just coming back to consciousness, eyes still shut and face pale. Dino had a knife, and he held it out as they approached with their own weapons pointed at him. He could see Dino had a bruise forming under his left eye. Prompto was proud Noct had been able to put up a fight, but the pride was short lived because Noct was unconscious, and this fucker was going to pay for that.

“Get out of here! Don’t make me hurt you!” Dino shouted and swung the knife in front of him. How he wasn’t running when not just Gladio, but also Ignis were heading for him, was beyond Prompto.

“Like to see you try,” Gladio swung the bat in the air as a threat, “we aren’t leaving without him.”

Dino took Noct’s shoulder in his hand and held tight. Prompto could swear he heard something like a growl come from maybe both Gladio and Ignis, who stopped not far from Noct. Prompto hung just behind them, but kept his gun ready.

“You don’t understand, I don’t want to do this, but I have to! I don’t want to die okay? He’ll be okay, I just need him to understand, to see!”

See? What the fuck was this guy high on?

Ignis took a step forward. “Just put down the knife--”

“No!”

Then everything descended into chaos.

Gladio charged forward and tackled Dino to the ground after vaulting over Noct. Ignis ran around Noct to wrestle the knife out of Dino’s hands once he was pinned. Dino wailed and fought, but the combined power of the two men overpowered him quickly. They pushed him on the ground and smashed his face into the cement, ignoring his continued howls of pain.

Meanwhile, Prompto willed his body to move and knelt in front of Noctis, gun on the ground next to him, working at the ropes as fast as he could. Luckily Dino was shit at this and the knots at his ankles and wrists were not so terrible to undo, which was probably why Dino had made sure he was unconscious. Prompto’s blood boiled, thinking about Dino hurting Noct like this.

Noct’s head rolled but his eyes fluttered open as Prompto worked on a wrist.

“Mm Prom, shit, I’m -”

“Shush, it’s okay buddy. We’re here now. We got you.” He looked up as he finished untying the rope. He gripped both of Noct’s wrists and smoothed over the skin where the rope had pulled on him. He didn’t see any signs of injury on him, so maybe he wouldn’t murder Dino and bury his body out there. Maybe. Or he would get some answers first. Then the murdering and burying.

Prompto stood, still holding onto Noct’s hands and tugging him to try to get him to stand. “Okay, let’s get you-Noct?”

Noct was looking past him and had gone paler, wide eyes staring at the staircase they had come from on the far side of the room. His grip tightened on Prompto’s hands.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Who…”

Prompto turned and looked behind him. He didn’t see anything, or anyone. Just the door standing open. When he looked back, Noct hadn’t stopped staring at the empty room.

Gladio and Ignis stood Dino up as well, his arms locked behind his back. When Dino managed to lift his chin, his eyes were wide, carrying the same look as Noct.

It was fear. But something primal, like a fear Prompto had never seen before. It made his hair on his arms stand on end.

“Fuck! Let me go! I have to go!” Dino struggled to get out of Gladio’s grip like a caught wild animal. Ignis grabbed his shoulder to try to hold him still, but Dino wouldn’t relent.

The other three all looked towards the stairs. Noct stood up shakily, clinging to Prompto’s arm.

“You don’t…see them?” His voice quivered.

“See who?” Prompto grew more and more concerned. Did Dino drug him? Were they _both_ high?

“Let me go! I have to get away! You have to run!” Dino’s voice became more frantic as he continued to struggle.

Noct backed away from Prompto and pulled him by the arm. His voice had an edge to it Prompto had never heard before. “Prompto, we have to go.”

“What?” Prompto spun around. “Noct -”

“Leave him, you guys! We have to go!” Noct kicked the chair towards where they had entered and ran. Prompto looked from Noct to the chair and watched it…

Hit something? It stopped in the middle of the room.

Maybe there was a crack in the ground. Yeah.

There was shouting all around him, more of a struggle behind him, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the chair. That feeling of something being wrong grew stronger. Goosebumps joined his raised hairs.

The chair violently moved as if _shoved_ to the side, skidding across the room until it hit the wall. Prompto yelped.

Okay, okay okay something was not right at all, on multiple levels, and his instinct was to listen to Noct more than he ever had in that moment. “Guys let’s fucking go!”

He caught up to Noct, and the others fell in line behind as they reached the other door. Noct whined and cursed when it wouldn’t give, so Gladio pushed in front of them and managed to wedge it open with brute force.

They all ran down the stairs, Dino catching up and somehow getting in front of all of them. Thoughts of kicking this guy’s ass were lost and replaced by the need to just get them all _away_ from that place.

They went flying towards their car once they hit the ground level. Prom grabbed Noct’s clothes and phone before Dino could drive away, and slammed into the front seat as the others did the same.

“Go, Ignis!”

He threw the car into drive and sped off. Prompto twisted in his seat to check on Noct, and watched as he kept his face pressed to the window, eyes on the building. Just before they turned the corner, he recoiled.

Prompto handed him his clothes and phone, and they drove home in silence, their combined adrenaline and fear clearly not allowing for any further conversation. Prompto kept looking back, but Noct had curled up against the side of the door, eyes squeezed shut and arms wrapped around himself.

Okay, so he was ready to kick Dino’s ass again.

They went back to Iggy’s place. Once inside, they all stood in the doorway as Noct collapsed onto the couch and dragged a blanket over him.

“Uh, hey. Dude?”

“No.”

Prompto gave Ignis and Gladio a look. They all collectively sighed, but Ignis made sure to lock the door. They all got comfortable on the couch around Noctis. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, he probably didn’t want to be alone. Not completely. Ignis and Prompto sat on either side, and Gladio sat beside Prompto with his arm slung along the back of the couch. Ignis let an arm rest against Noct’s side. Prompto crossed his legs and let his knee rest on his thigh. Gladio’s fingers rested against Noct’s neck.

Ignis put his show back on, and Prompto tried to focus on that and not the way Noct shivered every now and again. Gladio had his book in hand, but he would go minutes and minutes without turning the page.

He didn’t think he would fall asleep, his body still thrumming with so much fear and panic and concern for Noct.

* * *

Prompto woke with a start when Noct jumped off the couch, knocking Prompto over as he had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Shit. Ignis and Gladio weren’t anywhere to be seen.

“Mrrem?” Prompto managed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Noct stood in the middle of the room, staring at the front door.

“Noct, you okay?”

He shuffled and muttered something that might have been a _sure_ before vanishing into the bathroom. Prompto blinked.

Ignis walked out of the bedroom, phone in hand and looking concerned as he hung up.

Prompto sat upright. “Sup?”

“Apparently there was an attempted break in overnight in the lobby.” Ignis sat in a chair, but idly spun his phone in hand, thinking.

“They catch ‘em?” Gladio walked into the room while zipping up a hoodie.

Ignis shook his head. “It seems they only managed to break the door enough to cause the glass to web, not break. There isn’t anything on security footage either, aside from the door going from being normal to showing the webbing, and no one seems to have seen anything else suspicious.”

There was a thud at the front door. Gladio immediately went towards it, looking through the peephole.

“No one there.” His hand gripped the handle.

“Wait!” Prompto jumped off the couch. The memory of the chair the night before was suddenly too real and he had that feeling again, of something being not quite right. “Don’t...don’t open it.”

The other two looked at him. Prompto swallowed. Then Noct was out of the bathroom drying his face with a towel. But the moment they made eye contact…

Noct froze.

Another bang on the door, and his eyes widened.

“Noct…” Prompto sucked in a breath, and motioned towards the door. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but Noct _had_ seen something. He had been scared the night before, and not of Dino.

Noct dropped the towel from around his neck and walked to the door on his toes. Gladio watched, unsure, but moved to the side as he approached.

Prompto hesitated only a second before running over to be behind Noct, hand on his back, as he rose up to look in the peephole.

Noct’s hand flew to his mouth, his other hand curling against the door.

Another knock.

“But there’s no one there…” Gladio moved Noct aside and looked again.

“Noctis,” Ignis moved near them, “what’s going on?”

Noct backed away from the door and pushed past them. “No one open that, ever. We can _not_ use that door. You hear me?”

They all looked at the door, then to Noct. It would have been funny, under different circumstances.

“Do you hear me!” He shouted, and then covered his mouth again, before sinking to the couch and letting out a sob. He threw the blanket over himself.

The three of them surrounded him in an instant. The knocking didn’t happen again yet, but Prompto knew, could feel, something there. That whatever it was, it wasn’t gone.

“We need to know what happened last night, or we can’t help you.” Ignis’s eyes moved over the blanket. Prompto knew what he wanted - to touch Noct, to hold him, to let him know things would be okay. But they didn’t know what the fuck was happening.

It was quiet for a while as they sat there, each of them eventually resting a hand on Noct - his shoulder, a knee, his back. Every now and then, a shuddering breath escaped from under the blanket.

And every now and then, there was a knock. Each time, Noct’s form would tense under the blanket.

“I don’t really know.” His voice was small, even more so from under the blanket. “I mean, I know what happened, until I don’t.”

“Just tell us what you can.” Ignis had a hand on his back, and he moved it up and down slowly.

Another breath.

Another knock.

Noct winced.

“It was just a normal date. I’ve seen him for coffee before, I liked the guy. Then he wanted to go for a drive. I don’t know why I said sure. He k-kissed me.”

They sat and waited. Part of Prompto didn’t want to hear this. But he set aside his own selfish feelings for Noct. Gladio stood and walked over to the door, fingers grazing the bat propped up against the wall. His eyes darted back over to them every now and then.

“It was nice, to be kissed. It’s been since high school, I think,” Noct laughed nervously, “when Prom and I got shitfaced after midterms and ending up eating too much fried chicken and then made out in the alley behind the Kenny Crow’s.”

The others looked up at him. Prompto tried to focus on where he knew Noct’s face was. He had never told anyone about that night, because he figured Noct didn’t remember. It hadn’t mattered, they had been drunk. They never talked about it after that.

Noct shifted under the blanket, and his attention returned to the moment at hand.

“So I guess that’s why I went with him. And then in the car we kissed more, and then the next thing I knew, he said he wanted to.. Uh,” The form fell back against the couch, and Prom knew he was curled in on himself.

“You had sex,” Ignis spoke quietly. Prompto tried not to wince, even though Noct couldn’t see it if he did.

Noct didn’t speak immediately. “Next thing I knew, my phone was ringing, and then something snapped. Dino changed. We fought for my phone, and he got it from me, and then he tried to pin me to the seat. He kept saying he was sorry, but he didn’t want to die? He said I needed to s-see. I didn’t understand what he meant. I punched him, but then the guy had a fucking clo-cloth. On my face.”

Prompto’s hand was on Noct’s knee, and he squeezed. His blood boiled. He couldn’t imagine what could drive a person to go crazy. Noct usually had a good sense about people and generally listened to his instincts, so somehow Dino hadn’t set anything off. Dino fooled his friend, took advantage of him for some sort of fucked up reason.

“Next thing I knew you guys were there.”

Prompto breathed in deep. This wasn’t any information that helped them.

_Knock._

“Noct,” Prompto gripped both knees, and Noct shifted, “what did the chair hit?”

He could feel Gladio and Ignis studying him, but he didn’t look. He focused on Noct, on trying to give him all his support.

“I’ll believe you, whatever is happening.”

“I-I don’t know.”

“What did it look like.”

“A person. A-a man. Wearing all white. At first they seemed normal but. Their left eye was...empty.”

“As in, devoid of emotion?”

“As in he didn’t have an eye, it looked like it was just...”

_Knock._

“Noctis, who is at the door right now?”

Gladio let out a sigh. “I told you there’s no one-”

“I don’t know, but it’s not...it’s different from last night. Taller, his jaw...it’s missing. I-”

_Knock._

Everyone went still.

Ignis stood, phone in hand and already dialing. “I think we need to find Dino.”

* * *

Two hours later, Noctis was finally sleeping in the bedroom. The knocking hadn’t stopped, had gotten more frequent and there was still no sign of anyone there. Prompto paced the living room while Ignis was in his office talking to who knew who. Gladio still stood in the entryway, his bat in hand. Waiting. Watching the door. It had taken Ignis no less than three times to ensure Gladio wouldn’t try opening the door and just swinging his bat at whatever it was.

When Ignis stepped out, Prompto and Gladio rushed over to him. “He’s in Galdin Quay. The ferry doesn’t leave until tomorrow, so we have time. I imagine he’s trying to run.”

“Cuz he knows what’s good for him.”

“Yes well, unlucky for him we will be there first.”

“I’ll uh, I’ll wake Noct.”

_Knock_

Prompto tried not to wince at the sound as he moved into the bedroom. Noct was a ball under the sheets and the room was dark. Prompto sat on the edge of the bed.

“Hey um, Noct? We need to go.”

“Where?”

“Galdin Quay. Dino’s there.”

Silence, then movement under the sheets. Slowly Noct pulled the comforter down and sat up.

_Knock_

Noct squeezed his eyes shut. “Fuck.”

“It’s okay, we’re gonna figure this out, ya?” Prompto tentatively reached out and gripped Noct’s shoulder. Noct let out a shuddering breath before moving out from under his touch. Prompto didn’t take offense though - he had been through so much in less than 24 hours that they didn’t even fully understand yet.

He hopped off the bed and walked into the living room while Noct got ready, and checked on his gun. “So what’s our plan?”

“We corner him and make him talk,” Gladio swung his bat in the air.

Ignis sighed. “I mean, yes. Matter of factly. But we can’t scare him off. We need to make sure we can talk to him and not make him run - alright, Gladio?”

A roll of the eyes, another swing of the bat, another knock.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Okay sure,” Prompto looked around the room and tried not to let his eyes land on the door. “But first, how are we getting out of here if we can’t go out the door?”

“Fire escape,” Noct’s voice made him jump and spin to face him. “We should be able to take that to the street and then get into the parking garage before it reaches us.”

“Agree, that should work. And we should avoid confrontation at all cost, we don’t know what we are dealing with” Ignis shot Gladio a look. “So we move quickly, and hope it doesn’t run.”

“Does it?” Prompto asked behind a swallow of air.

Noctis wore a large hoodie, which may have been Gladio’s, and he shoved his hands into the pockets, ducking his head under the hood. “Guess we’ll find out. But it didn’t before.”

_Knock_

“Can we go, please?” Noct stepped towards the balcony.

The fire escape was almost as terrifying as whatever the fuck was happening. It was rickety and clearly not checked often - some steps were just completely missing, which was confusing as fuck considering Ignis lived in such a nice building, but he supposed the amount of times people actually needed the escape was basically none.

Oh the irony.

But once on the street, they walked past the front door and Noct paused - the front door had been what they heard, smashed but not broken, but the strength was still evident in how much of a beating the glass had taken. It looked like the entire door was about to shatter any moment.

Prompto wrapped an arm around Noct’s shoulders and led him towards the garage. He kept looking behind him, even though he knew it was pointless.

“I wish I could see it,” he muttered,

“No!” Noctis turned on him before getting in the car. “Don’t you wish that okay?”

Prompto raised his hands up in defense. “I just want to help.”

Noct’s eyes were wide, but then he dropped his head. “I know, but...”

“Let’s get in?” Ignis offered. Prompto sat in the front, uneasiness deep in his gut.

“Can we…” Noct sucked in a breath, “can we verify that it’s following me. Before we go?”

A few beats of silence, then Ignis nodded. “Probably wise, we need to gather as much intel as we can. Who knows what Dino can tell us.”

Noct held his breath and turned in his seat to be on his knees and looking out the back window. There were two possible entry points - the stairs which would come directly from the lobby, or the way they took.

Prompto watched also, just to see if something, anything could show him a sign of what Noct was seeing. He was watching the street entrance, when he heard the sound of a door slamming shut.

Noct hissed. “Fuck.”

“What do you see?” Gladio turned to look out the window.

“It came out the door from the lobby. Just fucking opened the door like a person - Ignis please just. Fucking go.”

Ignis threw the car in reverse and started to drive, but Noct stayed watching.

“Still the same?”

Noct shook his head. “It looks different but I...can still tell.”

Guilt in his heart but Promtpo wanted to know more. “What does it look like now?”

They pulled out of the garage, and Noct turned and sat, fastening his seatbelt.

“Still in white, this one’s eyes aren’t dark, but it’s large. Bigger than Gladio, but it looks like it has something wrong, like…an injury, bleeding...from its shoulder. Like a fresh wound, but it’s just a huge hole. Fuck, it’s so fucked up.”

He pulled the hood further around his face and curled up. Gladio stared at him, eyes worried and soft, his hand resting in between them on the seat. And Prompto understood. He wished they could all just hold Noct, comfort him.

But first, they had to find Dino.

It was about a half day’s drive to Galdin Quay, so they had a lot of time to think, and debate. Not having the ability to research, to look into this, he knew it was driving Ignis crazy for starters. And Gladio probably wanted to just attack, which wasn’t a smart plan.

“Well,” Prompto turned to look out the front window, “at least maybe we can assume it doesn’t run? That buys us some time?”

“We don’t know what this is, or what it can and cannot do,” Ignis spoke low, “but we should assume we don’t have unlimited time in Galdin Quay, aside from catching Dino from taking the ferry.”

“Maybe we should join him,” Gladio offered.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Ignis said with some sense of sadness that was strange to see, “but again, we don’t know. Maybe there is a way to stop..this. Now. Not just run.”

Prompto rested his head against the headrest of his seat. He was exhausted from the little sleep he managed to catch the night before.

Eventually he let himself drift off a little to the sounds of the wind around the car.

* * *

They got to Galdin Quay around mid-afternoon. It was a busy day so the resort was full of people, which seemed to only make Noct more nervous as they got out of the car. His eyes searched the crowds constantly as they all stretched.

“You have some time,” Ignis whispered as he wrapped gloved fingers around his upper arm gently. Prompto caught how Noct leaned into the contact, the exhaustion on his face real. “You can breathe easy for now. If it took us 5 hours, it could take...it...at least double that.”

Noct nodded and didn’t shake off Ignis’s touch. Prompto found himself drifting to the free side and bumping their shoulders together as they walked.

Gladio cracked his knuckles and fell in line next to Prompto. He draped an arm over his shoulders. “Let’s find this asshole.”

Prompto appreciated having Gladio there, his towering presence comforting. He just wished he could appreciate the view of the place. The breeze moved the trees wistfully, and the sound of the waves would have been soothing usually. He even saw a sign for fishing. Under normal circumstances, this place would be a haven for them all to hang out for a relaxing weekend trip.

He could see it so clearly; Noct sitting on the dock with his feet dangling in the water as he fished. Prompto sitting and leaning against him, taking pictures of the view around them. On the beach under an umbrella would be Gladio and Ignis, one reading the latest novel and the other studying with a highlighter in hand. Because that would be relaxing to Ignis.

Maybe later, once everything was fixed. Because they would figure out a way to fix it.

They had to.

He nervously tugged on his jean jacket as they walked to the pier and the ocean breeze hit them. Hopefully Dino would cooperate, hopefully being in a public place would mean he wouldn’t cause a scene. Hopefully he was even there still.

Ignis broke from Noct at the entrance to the small resort to speak with the receptionist, who offered a soft smile. They all hung back, acting interested in the view. Prompto even took a few selfies just to keep up appearances. It was all an act though, he could see how Noct and Gladio, like him, watched Ignis out of the corner of their eyes. She made a call, hung up and pointed somewhere down the way. Ignis said thanks and returned to them with a frown.

“He’s not in his room, so he must be around here somewhere.”

They all nodded, and walked slowly through the open air lobby. People around them were laughing, enjoying good food, and it left a sour taste in Prompto’s mouth because they didn’t know, had no idea what was going on. No idea that some sort of _thing,_ a creature? Ghost? Demon? Something, was walking towards them, that could hurt them. Just what, twenty four hours earlier Prompto had been like these people, unaware that there was some fucked up shit going on in the world. Shit they didn’t even understand yet, but it was sure as hell happening.

And in a heartbeat Prompto would trade it. Would take it away from Noct and pass it to someone else (hell, would get its attention back on Dino), and maybe that made him a bad person. But he wanted to protect his friends. That was his priority.

Not anyone else.

They ended up at the end of the lobby and taking a set of stairs down towards the docks where the ferry would be the next day.

And as they turned the corner, there on a bench looking out over the ocean, was a man in linen pants and a button up shirt, arm thrown over the back like he didn’t have a care in the world.

But he was about to have _four_.

“Dino!” Noct’s voice echoed out around them and he charged ahead of the group. Dino whipped around and his eyes went wide when he registered Noct storming towards him.

“H-hey, you’re--”

“Alive?” Noct spat out, and in a second Gladio was on Dino as well, hand on his arm to keep him on the bench when he tried to stand.

“You listen here,” Gladio growled, “we have a lot of questions, and you’re going to answer them all. Got it?”

Dino nodded, once, but his eyes darted around as if looking for something just beyond them. “My room. It’s safer.”

Gladio didn’t let go though, and Prompto didn’t blame him. He only pulled Dino to his feet and walked him, and the others fell behind him. Prompto looked around to make sure no one thought anything weird was going on.

People were just going about their business as if nothing had happened. That was good, he guessed.

They made it to his room, Dino swiping the key and entering first. Once inside, Prompto locked the door and latched the chain, just in case.

Lots of ‘just in cases’, lately.

Gladio released Dino, more like tossed him into the center of the room. Dino stumbled towards the large window overlooking the ocean.

“So...did it follow you?”

“Ah, no. We get to ask the questions.” Ignis spoke. Dino turned to face him and Ignis gestured to one of the chairs. Prompto wasn’t the one the ire of his gaze was directed to, but he couldn’t help but feel his heart rate spike at the way Ignis and Gladio descended on him like vultures around a kill. He sat on the edge of the bed to draw as little attention to himself as possible, while Noct leaned against the big window.

“Now.” Ignis snapped.

Dino sat, hands clasped in his lap.

“We estimate we have roughly until sometime in the night or tomorrow morning, depending on how quickly it moves.”

Dino shifted and cast a look to Noct, then back to Ignis. “So you all understand?”

Ignis gave him a look that had Prompto almost yelp. Dino cowered.

“What is _it_?” Ignis asked.

Noct didn’t sit, just stood at the window looking out. But his eyes would dart to Dino every so often. Prompto fidgeted because he wasn’t sure what Noct wanted - did he want to be comforted? Or did he want to have space? He suddenly felt very separated from everyone, like an outsider on the whole convo.

“Look, I’m - I’m not entirely sure. Everything I know I’ve just had to put together myself. There isn’t a rulebook or nothing.”

Ignis leaned forward. Prompto caught on that his dagger was in his hand, held against his leg. And Dino did, too. “Tell us everything.”

Dino sank into his chair after his eyes darted to the weapon and then to Ignis. “It started for me about a month ago. I met this girl, in a bar. We hooked up. When I woke up, all I had was a note. It said - _keep moving, it’s coming._ ”

“What the fuck,” Prompto said before he could stop himself. The others looked at him. He finally opted to join Noct’s side against the window and look at the water. He could still see the reflection of everyone in the room.

“I didn’t get it, until a few days later. Something broke into my place in the middle of the night, and when I opened the door to the living room with a bat in hand, it was…”

Dino looked down at his hands. Prompto turned to press his back against the window and Noct’s fingers slid around his wrist.

“I wasn’t sure _what_ I was seeing. I still don’t know. It changes, I don’t know how many forms yet. I’ve seen a handful. But that night I tried to hit it, and it was superhuman, I barely made it out alive. But as I ran, I realized. It wouldn’t run.”

Dino leaned forward and studied the ground. “So I remembered, then, the note at my bedside. And so I started moving. And finding people.”

At this point the others all seemed to raise up just an inch taller. Prompto caught how Ignis was clenching his fists against the chair.

“How many before Noctis?”

Dino didn’t look up. “Four.”

“Where are they now?”

Dino shifted. “You know that string of weird...deaths. Recently?”

They all did. They were all deep in crime junkie hell,. That shit was their jam, and by the fourth weird as fuck death they had all been starting their own theories. They were brutal deaths that seemed to demonstrate unimaginable strength and no one could figure out what had been causing it. The last one had just been days before. Prompto’s fears from the night before resurfaced.

“So why are you alive?” Gladio stepped up behind Ignis with his hands balled up into fists.

“It...follows the trail. So as long as there is someone else I’ve...slept with. It goes after them first.”

“What the _fuck_.” Prompto couldn't help it, he couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Listen I know it sounds fucking wacky but it’s true okay? Every time I would see a death on the news, you can bet within a day or so, that _thing_ was back. It would find me wherever I was. Sometimes it’s hard to know until its close that something is wrong. But it always just walks. Until it’s close enough to touch you.”

“So you offered up Noctis as a fucking sacrifice to save your own ass?” Gladio moved faster than anyone could react to, hands at Dino’s throat.

“Gladio! Stop!” Ignis pulled him away. Prompto didn’t miss how Noct didn’t move at all.

“He approached me okay! I just. I just didn’t want to die.”

Ignis got Gladio away from him, and Gladio muttered something about how h _e might still die if he had any say_ , and stormed over to where Prompto and Noct stood. He placed himself on the other side of Noct with his arms crossed and looking ready to murder Dino. Prompto couldn’t blame him.

Ignis kept things moving though, thank goodness for him. “What else have you figured out.”

“It’s smart, and strong. Always stay in places with more than one exit route. But it will never sprint for you.”

Noct let out a small whine and turned to press his forehead to the window. Prompto rubbed a hand up and down his back, thankful he didn’t pull away from the touch.

Ignis made eye contact with Prompto before his eyes rested on Noct. His expression hardened. “And sex is the only way to transfer this? And the only way to see it?”

Prompto and Noct both winced that time and it took every ounce of strength not to comment on the fact that he had never heard Ignis utter the word _sex_ before today and now he had heard it twice within 24 hours.

“Seems so.”

“Penetrative or…?”

Prompto mimicked Noct at that point, resting against the window and focused on the waves crashing on the nearby shore. He understood what Ignis was doing but he also just. It made him uncomfortable, to listen to this conversation like it wasn’t Noct’s life they were trying to save.

“Um, I don’t know. What else. I’ve only done...that.”

Silence.

“What do they look like to you?” Ignis continued.

“No one I recognize. Sometimes they seem like they’ve been injured, sometimes they look normal enough. I never stick around to really get a good look, gotta tell you.”

“But you can still see it, even after passing it on?”

“...Yeah. But it won’t even acknowledge me as long as there’s someone else.”

Gladio’s voice vibrated next to Prompto. “So it seems our options right now are to keep moving, and never let it touch Noct.”

Silence over the room. Noct’s eyes were closed.

Dino sighed. “Basically.”

“You know I could kill you right now.” Gladio’s voice was low and Prompto thought, he really might, just right there in the hotel room. Dump his body in the ocean. How convenient.

“I’m sorry okay! I panicked!”

“Gladio, leave him alone.” Noct finally spoke. “Can’t blame him.”

“Noctis-”

“Look,” Noct pushed off the window and away from Prompto, hands back in his pockets. Prompto spun around. “Can we just go?”

To Dino’s credit, he did seem like he felt bad about the whole thing, and a part of Prompto did understand that it wasn’t like he asked for this.

But still, he put Noct in this life or death situation. And it was so fucked up. But they followed Noct as he walked out of the room, followed him out of the lobby, and to the end of the dock, and followed Noct as he walked along the beach, always staying just behind him, until they got to where the sand met rocks. Noct climbed up and stood, looking out over the ocean.

Prompto and the others stayed behind him, though Prompto fidgeted and wanted so badly to be beside him, to hold him and try to tell him everything would be alright.

But they really had no idea, did they?

Noct collapsed to his knees, making Prompto wince, and dropped his hands to the rocks. Even over the waves, they could hear him let out a small cry.

Prompto sucked in air and tried to hold back tears. He looked to Ignis and Gladio, who looked on the verge of kicking someone, anyone’s ass. Ignis had an arm in front of Gladio to hold him back, and Gladio held on to that arm in a silent agreement.

Prompto looked back to Noct, who hadn’t moved at all. The sun was starting to set over the water. “Hey, buddy, how about we get some sleep? Before we have to move again?”

Noct shook his head. Prompto decided fuck it and climbed up the rock and sat beside him, hand on his back. When Noct sat back on his heels and looked up at the sky, Prompto’s heart almost snapped in half. He looked so defeated, so broken.

“We’ll figure something out, I promise.”

A sniffle, and Noct lowered his head to look out over the ocean. “Ya, sure.”

“Come on,” Ignis had started to climb up the rocks as well looking just as strained as Prompto felt. “We shouldn’t stay out here. I think we still have until morning, but it’s hard to say.”

“Where are we gonna stay?” Prompto stood and offered his hand, and Noct took it and allowed himself to get pulled up.

“There’s a small camper just off the beach, I already reserved that.”

“Is that safe?” Prompto hadn’t let go of Noct’s hand as they climbed down, and Ignis had taken his other hand to help.

“There are no rooms left, unfortunately.”

“Ah,”

Gladio huffed. “We’ll take shifts.” They started walking back towards the beach.

Prompto let his hand slide up to keep hold of Noct’s arm, and he didn’t shake it off. Ignis, meanwhile, had released Noct and stepped ahead to lead the way with Gladio.

“We’ll keep you safe,” Prompto whispered. It felt empty and hollow but he meant it with all he possibly could. They would do everything they could to protect Noct.

“You guys can’t see it.”

“If it has to unlock doors, we should be able to hear it trying to get in, if it knocks like it did at my apartment.” Ignis looked at Gladio. “But we should _not_ attack it. If those deaths Dino referenced are indeed from this thing, none of us stand a chance in hand to hand combat.”

Gladio said something low to Ignis. Ignis made as if to put a hand on the small of Gladio’s back, but his hand just kind of floated there, before returning to his side as they seemed to argue for a minute. But Gladio soon relented and they made their way to the car to get supplies. Well okay, their weapons.

Prompto squeezed Noct’s arm as they walked.

The camper was small, but there were three beds, including a big one over the front seats, so it was all they really needed for the night. Prompto and Noct took the back two beds, while Ignis would take the one over the front seats to be closer to the door. Gladio would stay up first.

“Just don’t open the door.” Noct reminded him as they laid down in their beds.

Gladio tapped the bat on his knee. “I will if I can kick it’s ass.”

“Gladio,” Ignis warned from above, staring down at him.

“Fine.”

“We just have to stay here until we’ve had some rest so we can drive safely home. It’s been a long twenty four hours, we don’t need to add car accident to the list of things we have to deal with.”

Prompto watched Noct turn on his side towards the wall under the covers. He would hopefully be out soon. Ignis was up in his bed, reading something on his phone, and Gladio had his book.

“Goodnight, blondie,” Gladio said as almost an order.

Prompto yelped and laid down facing Noct. He stared at Noct’s back until his eyelids grew heavy despite how much he fought the urge to sleep.

* * *

_Knock knock knock._

The camper shook. He opened his eyes. The small light was still on, but it was Ignis who was at the table now. When he looked at his phone, he noticed it wasn’t even dawn. Noct still faced the wall, curled in on himself.

He remembered Ignis’s prediction on how much time they had.

“Iggy!” he whispered, but Ignis didn’t look in his direction. He stayed focused on the door.

“That’s the third set of knocks.”

“What?” Prompto sat up. He dug his fingers into the blanket.

“It seems I was correct in my estimation. Unfortunately.”

Prompto slowly moved out of the bed and towards Ignis. He looked out the window over the sink. A hand rested on his lower back, and he looked back over his shoulder to see Ignis standing there, dagger in his free hand.

_Knock knock knock_

Again, the door shook with each hit. He jumped. “Shit there’s no one there Ignis.”

Gladio groaned and moved around on the bed. Ignis stepped away from Prompto, twirling the dagger.

“As long as we are inside, it seems we are safe.”

“But it tried to break the door at your place, what makes this door or your apartment door different?”

Ignis shrugged. It was a shrug tinged with exhaustion, not one that held his usual air of confidence. Prompto looked back through the window.

_Knock knock knock Knock knock knock-_

Prompto’s eyes grew wide as the knocking kept going this time, and he could see the door shaking with each hit and the entire camper rocked back and forth with the force. He took a step backwards and Ignis gently pushed him back towards Noct. Gladio shot awake and rolled off the bed to stand in front of Ignis, bat at the ready.

“Guuuuuys!” Prompto didn’t bothering whispering anymore as the doorknob jostled.

“Right, Prompto, wake up Noctis please.”

Prompto grabbed his gun, taking deep breaths. The banging hadn’t stopped. He was next to Noct and looked back up at them, at how Gladio looked ready to slam the bat against something, how Ignis had the dagger in his right hand and ready.

“So what do we do?” They had said not to fight this thing, and yet-

Gladio was the one to shout. “Protect Noctis!”

He hesitated only a second before nodding his head. “Ya! Got it!”

“If it gets through, we just --”

Prompto couldn’t stop his scream as a hole broke through the door.

Then the door was gone before he could even process the hole in it, pulled from the hinges. Prompto grabbed Noct by the shoulder and pulled him up, got him standing. Prompto aimed at the door and fired off one shot that went right into the passenger seat. Noct ducked behind him.

“It’s taller!!” Noctis screamed and Gladio aimed his bat high as he prepared to take a swing.

Something made contact against the front seat and sent it spinning. Gladio swung his bat, and Prompto watched with horror as it broke in half when it made contact with It. Ignis grabbed Gladio’s shoulder.

“Gladio!-”

He was grabbed by the shirt by an invisible hand and thrown out the door in one quick motion.

“Gladio!!” The three of them all screamed. Ignis ducked low and ran towards them.

“Through the bathroom!”

Prompto and Noct were moving instantly. In the small cramped space Prompto saw what Ignis had intended - a sunroof was open above them.

“Noct!” He knelt down and hoisted Noct up, Ignis there instantly to help. Then he did the same for Prompto. The camper shook and Prompto could hear his pulse in his ears as he grabbed Ignis’s by the arm and with all his strength pulled him up to the roof.

Noct was already nearly to Gladio, who had been thrown nearly to the edge of the shore and holy fuck how was that possible? Prompto and Ignis jumped to the ground and ran towards them. He didn’t bother looking behind him to see if there was anyone following.

He knew there was.

Prompto got to Gladio first. He slid into the sand. Gladio still lay flat on his back cradling his left arm against his stomach. Noct looked like he might get sick. Ignis stood over them and pulled out his phone.

Prompto took a closer look at the damage. “Hey big guy-”

His arm was clearly broken. Fuck. There was blood everywhere and maybe a bone sticking out of the forearm and Prompto thought he would be sick, but he ran for them anyway.

He pulled up his gun and aimed towards the camper because oh yeah, there was a thing attacking them.

“Noct, where is it!”

When there was no response, he risked look at Noct. He stared straight ahead, one hand on Gladio’s knee while Ignis spoke with emergency on the phone. He had gotten onto his knees and cradled Gladio’s head in his lap.

“Noct!”

In the soft dawn light, Prompto could see Noct’s eyes were red, watery, and wide. He looked at Gladio. At Ignis muttering comforts in between answering questions and trying to keep his focus on him and not on the open wound, on the blood.

Noct pulled himself up to his feet.

Then he turned and ran.

“Noctis!” Ignis and Prompto called out.

Prompto started to run, pushing through the sand to try to catch up to him. But Noct was clearly fueled by something. He had never seen him run so fast in his life.

 _Fear._ It was fear and it was fucking awful.

Just as his feet hit the pavement of the parking lot, Noct was in the car, engine started and speeding away, heading up the one street, up into the canyon that led back to Insomnia.

Prompto collapsed, lungs aching, and then he whipped around because.

Gladio.

He got back up and ran again trying to call Noct as he did so.

The phone kept ringing.

He could hear sirens in the distance as he collapsed next to Gladio and Ignis. The sun just started to break over the horizon, and the scene was just. Like something out of a movie. A really bad shitty terrible movie he never wanted to see.

Gladio had clearly tried to break his fall the proper way, with his shoulder, but the force had popped it out of the socket and somehow also the bone in his forearm had snapped up through the skin. Now that he could see the injury properly with the rising sun, Prompto thought he might faint. Or throw up.

Ya okay he was pretty sure he was on the verge of throwing up.

Ignis was still on the phone, his free hand holding Gladio at the shoulder to keep him from moving. Prompto sat and tried to keep Gladio’s attention as he continued to dial Noct’s phone. Each time it went to voicemail fucking stabbed his heart.

He rested a hand on Gladio’s thigh.

“Where did he go?” Gladio rasped. And somehow seeing Gladio in pain was one of the more terrifying things he had witnessed in his lifetime.

“The car. He left. He’s probably...trying to outrun it.”

“...Idiot.”

“I don’t know, look at you.” Prompto tried a smile, and he was happy to see Gladio weakly return it.

“Fair.”

“What are we gonna do?” He curled up and rested his chin on his knees. His let his hand trail up to make soothing circles on Gladio’s good arm.

Ignis answered as he hung up the phone. “We have to first get Noct. And then we need to have a talk.”

An ambulance pulled into the parking lot.

Gladio groaned. “I hate hospitals.”

“Yes well. Can’t be helped.”

As the sun continued to rise, Prompto noted how pale Ignis looked, the exhaustion that settled into his eyes so obvious. But he also had that look on his face, the one that usually meant he had a million thoughts he was sorting through to find the best solution.

Prompto was so fucking thankful for him. “Ignis, you have a plan?”

He shifted and adjusted his glasses. “It’s not one I think Noct will like.”

Prompto turned his head so his eyes rested on his knees. “We have a lot to talk about probably, huh.”

“It seems so.”

“Is this about…” Gladio groaned again at the strain of speaking, “how we can’t fight something we can’t see?”

There were a few beats of silence between them. The shouts of the paramedics running towards them echoed over the sand.

Ignis pressed his hand flat on Gladio’s shoulder. “We can’t protect him if we can’t see what’s chasing him. That is a fact.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some quick callouts if you came here before reading through this chapter:  
> \- There is drugging, but no noncon. It's for the purposes of knocking Noct out only. It's just in this chapter and only referred to after the fact  
> \- noct and dino do hook up but its only referred to in the past tense and no details  
> \- There is descriptions of a gnarly broken bone and also descriptions of the creature in its forms  
> \- Feel free to hmu if you wanna check on anything before reading <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> W͓̞̪̝͓̜ḫ̵̻a̤̰̩̻̥̱t̘̮͍̖̙͡ ͏̱a̵̲̮̝̭̻͙͖r̙͖̤͙̘̫e̵͖͎̬͈͍ ̤̙y͇o͎͍͙̭̥u̙ ͔̪̖̹̠w̨o͖̱͚͇̣̯͞ͅn̪̗̞̹̰̖d͔̲̭͉͍̼̙e҉͎̪r̷̳̝͚̟i̡ņ̪̞̥̖̩͚̞g̸?̲̼͕̬ ͉̳̰̜͙̻̲W̳̭͈̲̟͙͠h̳̫̮͠a̵̦̦̥t ̨͚̯̹̝̲̞ͅd̪̣͖̹o͉̖ ̛͚̙̤̲̥̳͚y̨̙o̢̻̺͚͎͍̮̻u̴̮͙̝̠̟ ̼̤̲̪͡k̩̯n͍͕̳̟o̴̯̹͉̹̝̭w̢̞͇̬̟̺?̷̥͉
> 
>   
>   
> “So what now?” Prompto asked as they were nearly finished eating.
> 
> Ignis didn’t miss how his fingers tapped the mug in his hands.
> 
> “We just have to wait.”
> 
> Prompto’s lips pressed tight before he spoke again. “But -”
> 
> “What would you have us do? We have no idea where he is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the warning for graphic depictions of violence - from this chapter on that will come up, as well as sexual content. If either would potentially bother you, please don't worry about hitting that back button. This is a horror/thriller story based on a movie with dark themes, so please keep that in mind. <3 
> 
> Feel free to hit me up if you want to ask about anything before reading.

Given how much Ignis always planned ahead, that he had forgotten to turn off his usual Monday morning alarm was perhaps a testament to his state of mind.

He groaned and swiped at his phone to turn it off. He had fallen asleep with it on his chest, in the event Noctis decided to call.

But he hadn’t.

Ignis sat up on his elbows and stared at the wall across from him a moment. He listened to the steady sound of Gladio breathing - he didn’t seem to be in pain while sleeping, which meant the medication from the hospital was still working.

He turned his head to study Gladio. He had slept propped up against the headboard, forced into an abnormal angle due to a broken arm, dislocated shoulder, and bruised ribs. But thanks to being heavily medicated he had done just fine despite his complaints the night before.

It probably helped that none of them had slept well Saturday night, and had spent Sunday in the hospital panicked about Gladio, and then also about Noctis, simultaneously. Ignis had thought Prompto was going to vibrate out of his body trying to be in two places at once at one point.

He reached over and carefully moved some of Gladio’s bangs off his forehead. Gladio tilted his head towards Ignis, and he quickly drew his hand back. Ignis took in a deep breath as he watched him sleep.

Gladio could have been killed.

He nearly was.

Ignis shifted and got out of bed. Sitting there worrying over what could have happened wasn’t going to help, wasn’t going to get Noctis to come back, wasn’t going to fix whatever this was that had managed to stumble into their lives.

He stepped into his slippers and moved quietly out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The morning sun was barely creeping through the curtains of his balcony window at this hour.

Prompto had passed out on the couch - hadn’t even let Ignis set up the pullout bed, just collapsed face first into the cushions with a thin blanket. Ignis couldn’t help a small grin at how Prompto had shifted in the night onto his back, one leg kicked up onto the back of the couch and an arm draped over his eyes.

He walked over and lifted up the part of the blanket that had pooled onto the floor, adjusting it so it covered the raised leg. Prompto’s mouth hung open slightly as he took in a deep breath.

It was strangely endearing.

Ignis snapped himself out of staring and stepped into the kitchen. He opted for a can of Ebony from the fridge instead of brewing coffee as that would risk waking up Prompto, and then made his way into his office.

He shut the door, and looked at his laptop on the desk with a determined glare.

“Now then,” he whispered, “let’s get to it.”

He popped open the can and took a long sip, relishing the bitter taste, before walking over and sitting in his chair. He set his phone on the desk and plugged it into the charger, and then immediately tapped on Noctis’s contact to dial.

It went straight to voicemail, as it had the night before. He didn’t bother leaving any more messages- he had left all he wanted to say already.

He hung up the phone and took another drink. He checked Noctis’s phone’s location, just to confirm it was still off.

_Confirmed._

Another drink. Fingers tapped across the can.

He started to search for recent bizarre murders first on the major news sites - they had heard there were a rash of unusual deaths via the podcast they all listened to, but they hadn’t looked up anything to see what the stories were referring to. Prompto and Noctis generally didn’t like to see gruesome things of that nature, so it wasn’t something he had considered doing.

First he didn’t find anything beyond news of the deaths. There was a theory the police were trying to keep coverage to a minimum; whether this was due to trying to catch the perpetrator or because of something more nefarious was unknown. Or perhaps it was because the deaths were just that terrible.

But Ignis had an iron stomach. Most of the time. So he decided to have a look. The names of the victims were ones he recognized - he clicked on one from the week prior, when the body of one Crowe Altius had been found on the shore of Galdin Quay.

It had been described as just ‘unnatural’, and not something that anyone had seen done by human hands. It was even still being investigated because the police weren’t sure it was a human or an animal that had attacked the woman. But now the story they heard over the podcast came rushing back to him as he read through the news article.

_“We were just all hanging out at the bar in SSS,” one of Crowe’s close friends told reporters, “and then suddenly her face went fucking white, like she seen something. She slammed her shot back and then said she needed to go, and we were all confused but didn’t think anything of it. She got on her bike, and that was that. We don’t know why she left.”_

This quote came next to a photograph of the woman, clearly a close-up shot of her taken from a group picture in a place with bad lighting.

Then the story went on to describe the scene, and had a gray box over a picture that warned for mature content.

Ignis clicked on the image. The Ebony can crunched as his grip on it tightened.

The woman had been found in Galdin Quay, on the beach near the water. The scene in the photograph was nothing like what Ignis had imagined when hearing about it the first time. She was stretched out on her back, staring out at the ocean; if one were to just focus on that part of the photo it could almost seem like she was simply resting.

Ignis found himself strangely thankful that she wasn’t facing the camera. Her arms bent at her shoulders - if Ignis were to guess, he would assume they fell back once she had passed, but that she had been trying to ward off her attacker.

He set the can down. He understood, then, why this was reported as such a terrible death.

One leg bent at the knee, the lower part completely twisted so that her foot dangled above her chest. The severe angle and force of the injury had split open the knee joint brutally, blood spilling down the leg and pooling on the sand.

The other leg appeared to be missing from the knee down, or perhaps bent terribly but in the other direction and so not visible, he couldn’t tell.

But it was the kind of brute strength they had all witnessed in the camper, someone - something, with the ability to toss even Gladio in such a way.

Ignis needed to understand more.

He kept the tab open, and then went back to the search results of recent deaths. He found another in Longwythe; a young man found in a similar state as the first, though there were no eyewitness accounts to his how he ended up there like with Crowe. But the brutality of his murder was no doubt related, Ignis believed completely. And as he continued searching, even more so by the fourth victim.

The police had come in and spoken with Gladio at the hospital, and it all made even more sense. They were clearly trying to see if these were connected, if Gladio might be seen as a fifth victim who survived and might be able to provide them with a lead.

How unfortunate that he could not. They hadn’t needed to lie; they truly hadn’t seen who attacked them. The one person who did, wasn’t there.

Ignis sat back in his chair, the story of the most recent victim he could find open. Four total in the last two weeks - police were stumped, folks in the know were panicked. It wasn’t enough to cause hysteria across Lucis yet, and now it would be at a standstill with Noctis.

_Noctis._

He looked at his phone again, void of calls or messages, and ground his teeth. He knew Noctis far too well; he would be keeping his distance from them to claim it was for their protection, that he didn’t want to see them hurt.

And that was fucking rubbish.

Noctis’s phone was still off.

Ignis shut the laptop and took his phone and coffee back into the kitchen. He couldn’t find Noctis, not if he didn’t want to be found.

So he would make breakfast.

The sun was up and the light in the room was bright, so Ignis didn’t take as much care as before as he moved about the kitchen. He focused on making things easy for Gladio to manage with one hand - some toast, bacon, scrambled eggs.

Prompto eventually woke - Ignis heard him yawning and dragging his feet as he wandered into the kitchen, leaning against the counter while Ignis worked.

“Nothing?” Prompto was looking at Ignis’s phone.

Ignis shook his head. “He clearly has made sure we can’t follow.”

“Do you think...” Prompto pulled at the bottom of his shirt, “he’ll come back, right?”

“I don’t know.” It was a truth that hurt to say out loud, but Ignis couldn’t pretend at this point. If Noctis decided it was better to be on the run, without them, they couldn’t stop him. There was no telling where he went, how they would go about finding him.

Prompto needed a distraction as much as Ignis did. “Can you check on Gladio, please?”

“Sure,” Prompto slid away.

Ignis kept cooking in the silence. They could do nothing but wait, and believe Noctis would come back. There was a chance he would go to his own home on the other side of Insomnia, but he hoped that Noctis would know they were waiting for him at Ignis’s. He was sure that if Noctis had just gone home, he would have at least sent a simple text to ask for space.

So Ignis just had to hope.

He finished preparing the simple meal and poured three cups of coffee; one black, one with creamer, and one mostly sugar and creamer. He made Gladio’s plate on a tray and took it into the room first. Prompto sat on the bed beside Gladio, helping him sit up so his back was against the wall.

“Good morning, Sunshine.” Ignis put on his best smile.

Gladio grimaced as he moved and groaned, resting his head back. “Any word?”

Ignis set the tray down on the nightstand to his right. “He’s turned off his phone.”

Another groan.

“You need to eat, Gladio. It will help you heal faster.”

Gladio looked down at the tray and cleared his throat. “I can’t reach on that side.” His voice tinged with embarrassment.

Ignis looked at his arm - his right arm, which was in the cast and currently in a sling pressed against his body, and the nightstand on his right.

“Ah, of course. Apologies. We didn’t think of that last night. Can you - Prompto, help me get him over.”

With some effort, they got Gladio moved over to the other side of the bed, and then soon the food was set up on the other table. Gladio seemed better, briefly, as he managed to eat a little. Ignis and Prompto brought their food into the room and sat on the end of the bed with their own trays, though they ate mostly in silence, broken by the sounds of sipping coffee.

“So what now?” Prompto asked as they were nearly finished eating.

Ignis didn’t miss how his fingers tapped the mug in his hands.

“We just have to wait.”

Prompto’s lips pressed tight before he spoke again. “But -”

“What would you have us do? We have no idea where he is.”

More silence.

They all wanted to find Noctis. He understood that. But without any sort of leads they couldn’t possibly know where to look. And filing a police report would do nothing if they said “ _Well, officer, he got in a car and left.”_ No one would take it as a serious missing person report after just one day. Maybe not even after several.

Ignis almost _missed_ the knocking, because then at least he knew Noctis was with them. And that was not right. He knew that.

“We stay here,” he continued, “because this is where Noct will come if he decides to return. So we stay and wait.”

With that, Ignis got up and collected their trays. To the others’ credit there were no more questions on the matter.

Ignis cleaned up in the kitchen, calculating the food he had left and how long it would be before he needed to go shopping. He could cook lunch and dinner, and then breakfast tomorrow, but then he would be running low. And he would not dig into the stash of noodles Gladio had shoved into one of his cupboards, because that wasn’t the kind of nourishment that would help him heal.

They would spend the time they had healing, resting, and researching to figure out what was going on, until Noctis returned to them.

* * *

The next two days were... to put it simply, exhausting in a way Ignis hadn’t experienced before. They didn’t leave the apartment except for when he went shopping for groceries. Ignis called himself and Gladio out sick, and made excuses for Noctis’s absence to his father. Prompto had called out from his job as a photographer’s assistant as well, and Ignis knew Prompto put himself at risk doing so at such a small business. But they all needed to be there, for Noctis. For when he came home. It hadn’t even been a discussion.

And the idea of any of them not being there for the moment Noctis did return was far too unsettling for any of them to bear.

Ignis had downloaded a blotter app so they could listen to police activity in the city and keep an ear out for bizarre deaths before they even hit the news. Every time a call came on over the app, they would all stop whatever they were doing to listen. It was on all hours, so their sleep was often interrupted.

Or at least, Ignis’s was. He put Prompto in the bedroom with Gladio and slept in the pull out bed in the living room, so he could listen without disturbing everyone. Gladio needed to sleep as much as possible while his body worked through the worst of the injuries, and Prompto needed something to distract him in the form of distracting Gladio from his injury.

It drained Ignis mentally and physically, but he had to keep face and stay strong for the other two. For when Noctis returned. He had to believe that Noctis wouldn’t just stay away; that he would realize he was safest with them, where they could have a plan on how to beat this together.

On the night of the third day, they were crowded together on the couch eating pizza, because Ignis admitted to being exhausted and Gladio was feeling better enough to walk around and make Ignis relax. Gladio sat between Ignis and Prompto, each one there to help in case he needed to move. His movements were still careful and slow, a sign that his ribs still ached, which was to be expected. Ignis had kept a steady schedule of painkillers going to help take the edge off.

They had some ridiculous reality show of Prompto’s choice playing, because Ignis couldn’t be bothered to complain, and the pizza was actually not terrible. Though he had a handful of ways he could improve on it in his kitchen, if he had the energy to get up and walk over there. But they were all exhausted. The lack of sleep and anxiety and fear hung between them all.

So when they heard the door knob turn and the front door opened, it wasn't a surprise they all jumped from their seats and dropped their plates to the floor. Gladio had even risen, though his grip on Ignis’s shoulder was hard enough to make Ignis remember himself and help him up.

“Noct!” Prompto ran across the room first and tackled him to the ground as he closed the door. Gladio and Ignis were right behind him. Ignis noted how Gladio released his shoulder and walked as if he were fine, which made Ignis bristle a little. Now was not the time to be worried about appearances.

Speaking of, Noctis looked...

Very much worse for wear. His clothes were wrinkled in spots, his eyes red, hair flattened to his head on one side. He sat on the floor, back against the door, with Prompto on his lap and hugging him. Ignis noted that he didn’t wrap his arms around Prompto in response to their closeness, which put him immediately on alert.

“We thought you were dead, dude.” Prompto said between shaky breaths against Noctis’s shoulder.

Noctis was still quiet. Ignis stepped over and pulled Prompto up. Gladio offered his good hand to Noctis, who took it and stood. Ignis would scold Gladio later on about being mindful of his ribs.

Noctis didn’t give them much more than look as he proceeded to walk into Ignis’s bedroom and shut the door.

The three of them stood there, blinking at the door and then each other.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Ignis announced, and no one argued. He entered the room slowly, but Noctis was in the shower. So he sat on the bed, his back to the bathroom, and waited.

After half an hour had passed and Noctis was still in the shower, he considered the options of what could have happened. The state of his clothes, his hair, his demeanor.

That he was gone for three days.

That he didn’t lock the front door after him. That he didn’t act like he was being followed.

Ignis tightened his hands together in his lap and worried at his lip. The shower stopped, and there was more time until the door opened.

“Iggy…”

“Are you alright?” He didn’t turn, but he heard Noctis walking around, probably stealing some of Ignis’s clothes to wear from the closet.

“I don’t know,” Noctis said softly. Ignis felt a weight on the other side of the bed.

Longer silence. Ignis decided to ask the question on his mind- to confirm what he suspected.

“I assume you managed to pass it on.”

No response. He would have to be more direct.

“How much time do you think we have?”

He finally turned around to see Noctis laying on his side, facing away from Ignis. “I… don’t know.” He sighed, “a few days? I have a news alert... setup.”

Ignis turned back to face the wall.

“How did you know?” Noctis whispered. It sounded like his face was nearly in his pillow.

Ignis tightened his hands. He could _feel_ the guilt weighing on Noctis. It almost made the air hard to breathe, sat heavy on his chest. He needed to help Noctis not get lost in a spiral of doubt and guilt.

“It was a logical thing to do.”

“What, send someone to their death?” Noctis’s voice broke.

Ignis silently turned and watched Noctis take in a few breaths. He stood and pulled the comforter up to drape over him, then sat back on the bed against the headboard.

He wished so badly to reach over and hold Noctis, to try to help him feel better in some way. But he had a feeling that being touched might be the last thing Noctis would view as comforting right now.

“You know, there are other--”

“Don’t you even fucking dare.” The words were sharp enough to make Ignis freeze. “I would never. I can’t. Not to you. Any of you. I won’t... I won't condemn anyone else. It was a mistake. I feel sick. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Noct…”

“I need... some sleep.”

“Of course.” Ignis got up and walked around the bed towards the door, fighting the urge to turn and look back at him. “We have plenty of leftovers, if you get hungry.”

Noctis didn’t reply. Ignis peeked back - he had already pulled the blanket up over his face so that all Ignis could see what a bit of dark hair. He closed the door behind him, and nearly ran smack into Prompto who had clearly been listening.

He looked at both he and Gladio, first with a look of frustration, but then with resignation as he motioned them both into the office.

“What’s going on?” Gladio attempted to cross his arms and then remembered himself, letting his free arm hang at his side.

Ignis tapped his fingers on the desk in thought. “It’s not gone. We just have a few days. We need a plan.”

Gladio stared at the ground, and Prompto, the door.

“Like what?” Gladio spoke first.

Ignis followed Prompto's gaze. “I said before. We can’t fight what we can’t see.”

“Ignis--”

“We will have to talk to him. I mean it. Lay everything out on the table. Tell him _everything_. We can’t hide anything at the risk of intentions being misinterpreted.”

“What do you mean? We say anything about our feelings and he’s gonna think we’re taking advantage.” Prompto’s voice had hit a high-pitched whisper.

“If we don't and he finds out later, it will be worse.”

Gladio let out a frustrated growl and walked away from Ignis, towards the window. “So we talk, then what.”

“I’ll do it.”

“You? You’re--”

“You’re injured, Gladio.”

“What about me?” Prompto piped up.

“You don’t have any formal training to fight.” Gladio’s voice rose.

“I can shoot.”

“No.” Ignis took off his glasses and rubbed at his temples with his eyes squeezed tight. His head ached, and he was fighting the urge to sleep despite the adrenaline running through him.

Gladio’s voice cut through. “So what, you martyr yourself and we’re supposed to just deal with it?”

“What do you propose?!” Ignis’s voice rose, but then he stilled himself. He put his glasses back on. Prompto leaned against the door, arms crossed, and looked down at the ground. Gladio had his head tilted back against the window, staring at the ceiling.

“I don't like it.” Gladio growled.

Ignis sighed. “He won’t either. But, he has to agree to what we propose first and foremost. So we have to work through it with him. He can’t do this alone.”

Ignis didn't like it at all, but their options were limited. This wasn’t how he had intended for any of this to come up.

But knowing Noctis had gone out and been with someone else, it made him feel queasy. The same as it clearly did to Noctis. So at least if it was one of _them_ , they knew what they were up against, and could work together. It wasn’t like sending a stranger to their death.

For many reasons, Ignis’s stomach flipped.

“When then, do we talk about this.” Gladio hadn’t stopped staring upwards.

“Let’s give him a day. To just… collect his thoughts. Take him outside. Try to be normal.”

They both nodded. Prompto pushed off the door, and Ignis opened it to leave. “I’ll set up the couch for sleeping. I’m not sure Noctis will want company.”

He got the bed under the couch made up, but Prompto had managed to vanish into the bedroom, so Gladio and Ignis shared the pullout. In the end, Ignis was glad one of them was with Noctis. Considering what they would be discussing soon, he didn't think it should be him.

After getting settled on his side of the bed, Ignis laid there and listened to Gladio’s gentle snores. Gladio had been putting up a front to hide the pain he was in, but Ignis could see it in his face when he thought no one was looking. And lying there now, his face would scrunch when he moved at all. Ignis was tempted to wrap his arms around Gladio to keep him from moving, but he wasn’t sure it would be appreciated.

He found it hard to fall asleep. A part of him waited to hear the knock, his body tense with anticipation.

* * *

When Ignis woke up in the morning, he was instantly on alert. He listened to the radio for almost 10 minutes before deciding to get out of bed. After using the guest bathroom to wash up, he shook Gladio on the shoulder of his good arm. He muttered something as his eyes blinked open and looked at Ignis, confused. The drugs were clearly still having an effect on him, because Gladio was a morning person on most days.

Ignis felt bad waking him, but they needed some air. “Let’s go get some breakfast. Come on.”

“What time is it?”

“Ten. We should get the others up.”

“Yeah,” Gladio sat up carefully. Ignis handed him another round of painkillers. Gladio seemed mostly himself aside from the massive cast. His movements were a bit more fluid, though that was probably in large part due to the medicine.

Ignis walked over to the door. He avoided knocking. “Prompto? Noctis? How about we go to that little Tenebraen place down the street for some breakfast?”

There was some rustling and mumbling on the other side. Prompto opened the door, already dressed in pants and a sweatshirt, glasses on. His eyes were puffy, and when Ignis looked behind him, he saw Noctis sitting on the bed slouched over, staring at his phone.

_News alerts…_

“Noct?”

Noctis turned his screen off and stood, pocketing his phone. He was already dressed as well.

“Sure.”

But there was something to his voice still, and worry took over. “Everything alright?”

Prompto looked back over his shoulder. They shared a glance that clearly meant they were both hiding something.

“Just hungry.” Noctis shrugged.

Ignis wouldn’t pry, not yet. “Well then, let’s get to it. It’s a nice walk.”

Ignis tried not to think about how the last time they left his apartment, they had to run down the fire escape. They walked down the stairs - at Noctis’s insistence - to the front. He noted how Noctis tried to look around without drawing attention, how Prompto followed his eyes.

Ignis wanted to ask more questions. How far had Noctis gone? Who had he been with? Would they have been with other people since then? What was the actual chain?

How much time did they have?

Instead he walked ahead, listening to the idle chatter of Noctis and Prompto behind him, and Gladio trailing behind. It seemed for a moment maybe things were normal, just them heading out to eat like any weekend. Except it wasn't the weekend, and Noctis’s life was perilously in danger.

Once at the little cafe, Ignis let Noctis dictate where they sat. He selected a corner booth with a window, and Noctis positioned himself so he could see all angles of the place. Ignis didn’t miss it, the way he did a quick sweep of the layout. A part of him was proud to see Noctis actually using any of the self defense training he had received. But then his suspicions were once again becoming more confirmed.

Noctis had said they had days. But that had been an estimate.

Still, they continued on as if everything was normal as they ordered and ate their food. All the while Ignis was quiet, watching Noctis, watching the room.

“Iggy,” Gladio nudged him by the shoulder after Noctis left for the bathroom.

“Mm?” He took a sip of his coffee, studying the parking lot.

“You’ve literally not said anything aside from your order.”

“Ah. Yes. Prompto?”

“Yup!” Prompto squeaked, and Ignis knew he had him. He felt bad for what he intended to do.

“They were found already, weren’t they?”

Prompto’s face went pale. Ignis could feel Gladio’s eyes glued to him, but he just looked down and took another sip of his now cold coffee.

“How far away?”

Prompto cowered against the seat, burying his nose in his hoodie. “Iggy please he told me--”

“How long? We don’t have time for games.”

“He didn't leave Insomnia. I think he thought the other person would... pass it along. They were like... a...” He spared a glance in the direction of the bathroom. Red creeped up his cheeks and his legs bounced under the table. “A... _worker_.”

Gladio stared down at Prompto. “What the fuck-”

“Gladio.” Ignis warned as Noctis came into view. Ignis raised his hand for the waitress to come, and as Noctis slid back into the seat, all eyes were on him.

“Noct, you wanna go to the arcade or something?” Prompto said much too enthusiastically, but it seemed he was distracted, staring out the window just over Ignis’s shoulder.

“No, I want to go home.” He sounded almost robotic.

Ignis resisted the urge to look behind him, instead catching Noctis’s gaze by tilting his head.

Noctis studied the tabletop as Ignis paid the bill, but when Noctis finally stood he walked quickly towards the door, and the others followed.

Outside, Noctis stopped at the curb. Ignis stood beside him, their shoulders barely touching. A soft breeze moved around them and under better circumstances, Ignis would have probably enjoyed the moment of cool air and warm sun his skin. Noctis’s eyes stayed focused ahead, narrowed just so and brows furrowed, until they widened.

“You don’t see anyone walking towards us, do you?” He spoke, just above a whisper, before the others caught up to them.

Ignis let his shoulder rest a touch more against him. “No.” He didn’t dare say out loud that he wished he did.

A small shudder, and Noctis took one step back.

Ignis followed the movement and wrapped an arm around him. “Come on, let’s take the long way home.”

Noct pulled away from the touch- but slowly, and not like he was offended. More like he just needed space. Ignis didn't try to force it, instead letting him and Prompto take the lead, while he and Gladio walked behind them. Prompto resumed Ignis's position, arm wrapped around Noctis’ shoulders and whispering to him as they walked.

“What did he do?” Gladio muttered.

“Tested theories, it seems. This is the time to talk to him, though, before we have to worry about... disruptions.”

“He won't.”

“He unfortunately has little choice. “

Noctis never looked behind them as they walked, but Ignis did. Just in case.

Once back at Ignis's place, Gladio took care to lock the door, but Ignis had quickened his pace to grab Noctis by the arm just as he tried to dart for the bedroom.

“We need to talk.”

Noctis and Prompto exchanged a look.

“Now.”

They all sat in the living room. Noctis pulled Prompto to sit on the big armchair with him so he could hide his face against his shoulder. Prompto pulled the small pillow to his chest and was very interested in the pattern on it. Gladio cleared his throat and acted like he was looking for something on his phone.

Ignis wouldn’t let this drag out any further.

“Noct, we need you to be honest with us. And we will be with you.”

Gladio and Prompto’s attention snapped to him. Yes, they would be doing this now. Putting everything on the line, because they had to- because it was probably the only way to save Noctis.

They would have to all be willing to put themselves on the line first.

“Where did you go? “ Ignis let his concern through more than he normally would.

By this point, Noctis had wrapped his arms completely around Prompto, forehead pressed to his shoulder.

It was a surprise when it was Prompto who responded. “He went to The Glaive.”

Gladio shifted and Ignis sighed. It was common knowledge that workers frequented The Glaive to offer solace to any left at the end of the night without someone to go home with. “You were gone for two days, and you just went to a bar on the other side of town?”

“I stayed near there. Went twice.”

Ignis sat up. “How many?“

Noctis sighed. His hands gripped Prompto's hoodie.

“We aren't judging you, Noct. But this is all important information to figure out how to beat this thing. We need to know what you've tried.”

“Two.”

“One a night? “

A nod. Prompto's grip on Noctis tightened. At least Noctis was speaking now.

“How far?”

“Not…” Noct shifted and sighed. “Not _that_. Not like with Dino.”

“For both?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said quietly. Noctis whined in defeat.

“I'm sorry dude, but Iggy's right. We have to work through this together.” Prompto shared a look with Ignis, and he was glad he were now on board. He tried to smile but found it difficult to do so.

Now they just needed Noctis to understand.

“So who was it, the alert.”

“The first one,” Noctis whispered.

“Wait, you let someone else die?” Gladio stood.

“Gladio,” Ignis warned. They couldn’t make Noctis feel bad about his decisions, not now.

“What, we’re supposed to act casually that someone is _dead_?”

This time Ignis pulled his attention away from Noctis, who had sagged against Prompto. Gladio also turned to him, and they held each other’s stare. Ignis didn’t expect he would have to say much. He usually didn’t when it came to Gladio - he always understood the undertones of any look he gave.

Even if they didn’t like this, it was clear the emotions Noctis had about this were tenfold.

“Noct,” Gladio moved. Ignis held him in place next to him on the couch with an arm and a strong glare before he continued.

“So it transferred to the first, and it would seem the second wasn't affected. That's valuable information. They probably also can't see it, then.”

_knock knock knock knock_

They all jumped. Prompto yelped, face ashen. Noctis nearly climbed up Prompto on the chair. Ignis looked to the door. Gladio cursed under his breath.

Ignis relinquished his hold on Gladio and Gladio charged to the door, looking through the peephole.

“It’s someone in a suit.”

Gladio turned to Ignis, who raised an eyebrow. Ignis moved to join him. He looked through the peephole and recognized the woman as Sania, one of the building managers.

“Don’t open it!” Noctis shouted.

Ignis had no intention, not yet.

“Yes?” He spoke through the door.

“Just going door to door checking in,” Sania’s voice carried through the door, “there was another break in and police are on their way.”

“We're fine, is the front door broken again?”

“No, this time the fire escape stairs were pulled down.”

He could feel the moment everyone in the room stopped breathing. He and Gladio slowly turned. Noct had sat upright. His back was still to the big balcony window. Prompto’s eyes were wide and he clung to Noctis by the arms.

“When did this happen?”

“Just a few minutes ago, couldn't miss the sound on the first floor. Looks like someone really wanted to get up the escape. But we didn’t see anyone on the street by the time we got outside. So we think they’ve already got into someone's place.”

Noct still hadn't turned around. His face matched Prompto’s pallor.

“We are fine. Thank you for checking.”

“Got it, give us a shout if you see something. Keep your doors locked.”

He waited until he could no longer hear footsteps as she did the same for the next few apartments.

As soon as it was quiet on the other side of the door, Ignis moved fast to Noctis and helped him to his feet. Noctis had a dazed look in his eyes and squeezed his hand around Ignis’s upper arm tight. Gladio grabbed his bat in his good hand and faced the balcony. His eyes darted around, even though he couldn’t see anything of course.

Ignis gripped Noctis by the shoulders to try to ground him. “Can you-”

He shook his head and dug his fingers harder into Ignis’s skin. “No, let’s- can we just leave.”

Noct was shaking under his hands. His skin was so pale. Ignis wondered the last time he’d slept well. Most likely longer since the last time Ignis had.

But they needed to be sure it was there before they fled. “Noct, on the count of three, turn and look, and then we will figure it out, alright? Together.”

“Yeah, we're here for you, okay? “ Prompto reassured, hand on Noctis's back.

He didn’t move, and Ignis worried he would still refuse. Then, slowly, Noctis turned his head.

His eyes went wide. His mouth opened in a quiet gasp.

A loud bang shook the window. They all saw the glass move, but there was no one standing there.

“Go!” Ignis pulled Noctis towards the door and grabbed his keys. They all piled out and went running right as the sound of glass shattering echoed into the hallway.

“Go to the garage!” Ignis shouted as they headed down the stairs, running all the way. They jumped into the car, and Ignis had the car running and pulled out of his parking spot within seconds.

“See anything?” He asked as he made his way to the exit.

“Not yet.” Noctis curled up in the backseat. Ignis pulled out of the garage, and drove toward the freeway.

“Where are we going?” Gladio asked. Ignis could see how he was watching Noctis as he spoke.

“Noct’s,” Ignis hit the gas, and was happy Noctis didn’t argue. He lived in a higher security building- one without any fire escapes. With extra bedrooms, and amenities within the building that kept them from needing to travel far. They could easily hide out there and be safe for some time, ideally.

And then, they would talk.

Noct lived just about 20 minutes away by car, which he knew didn’t give them much time, but having higher security would help.

He hoped.

Once at his building, Noctis remained quiet as they got out of the car and made their way to the elevator, hat on and hood pulled tight. “Dad’s out of town, so it should be ok to use his room.”

“Sweet, he’s got a big ass bed.” Gladio stretched and grimaced. Ignis caught how he touched his hand to his ribs perhaps without even knowing he was doing it. He would need more medicine soon. “It’ll be better than Iggy’s shitty rollout.”

No one responded. They reached Noctis’ floor, near the top of the huge skyscraper, and followed him inside. Ignis made sure to secure all the locks, checking the huge balcony that wrapped around the entire apartment, just in case. Then he grabbed the bottle of medicine from the guest bathroom before he forgot.

“No way anyone can get up here,” Gladio gestured towards the balcony as he sat on the couch.

“Just need to make sure. Noct, we need to continue our conversation.”

Noctis stopped in his tracks towards his bedroom. Prompto darted immediately to his side to encourage him back to the living room.

Ignis made quick work of getting water for everyone and settled once more. This time, Noctis had his knees curled up to his chest and Prompto sat behind him, Noctis pressed against him back to chest.

“Noct,” Ignis started, holding on to his water with both hands, “we don’t have the luxury of dancing around this. Not anymore.”

Gladio tensed beside him. Prompto ducked his head against Noctis’s back.

Ignis continued. “We need to be able to fight this, with you.”

Noctis lifted his head from his knees, his stare angry. “No, don’t even-”

“Noct, you can’t take this on by yourself.”

“You could _die._ ”

“So could you!” Ignis slammed his glass down and stood. “You think we would rather that? Than doing whatever we can to help save you?”

Noctis cowered against Prompto.

“Listen, Noctis,” Ignis looked at the others, who had lowered their heads.

“Before anything, we need to tell you some things. If we are going to do this.”

“You aren’t going _to do_ anything.”

“Noct,” Prompto gripped his shoulders, “we can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

“I said _no_ ,” Noctis shoved away from Prompto and stormed off. Ignis held his hand to stop the others and followed on his own. Noctis hadn’t locked the door, so he stepped inside, and locked it himself so the others couldn't come in.

Noctis sat on the bed. He threw his hat against the wall and rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes, then collapsed on his side.

Ignis walked around to the other side of the bed and sat, back to him once more. He believed Noctis would open up to him, given time, that he would talk through this with him. It was just... a lot. He understood that. It was a lot to have weighing on one’s shoulders. A lot to consider giving to someone else.

“I didn’t ask for your help.” Noctis muttered.

“You didn’t have to. You know we would do anything to protect you.”

“Why,” his voice was raw and muffled.

“Noctis,” Ignis turned to face him even though Noctis wasn’t looking in his direction, “we all care for more than we’ve let on.”

Noctis didn’t move, and he didn’t speak.

“We don’t want to take advantage. We just want to help. I want to make that clear.”

Noctis slid back and moved the sheets to get under the covers.

Ignis sighed and laid on his side facing the opposite way. He figured it would be safer if he stayed here, with him, just in case. He took off his glasses and set them beside his pillow and closed his eyes.

Noctis hadn’t kicked him out.

That was something.

Ignis didn’t sleep right away. He waited, listening for the signs that Noctis had fallen asleep. But his breathing didn’t even, and he didn’t do that thing he did where his legs twitched.

Ignis hoped he would sleep soon. He was sure he needed the rest.

There was movement, and then the sound of skin sliding across the sheets. Ignis didn’t move, but stared at the wall as he listened, trying to figure out what Noctis was doing.

A hand, slow and shaking, touched his arm.

Ignis didn’t move, unsure of the intent. Then the hand moved to wrap around him, and Noctis pressed up against him. His nose pushed against the back of Ignis’s neck.

“This whole thing is so fucked up,” he whispered against Ignis’s skin. In any other situation, Ignis was sure he would have feelings, so many feelings, about being close like this.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Noctis didn’t speak again, and Ignis didn’t push him. But he did eventually feel Noctis’s breathing even out, and he soon followed.

* * *

Ignis stirred and opened his eyes. He felt around for his glasses put them on, noting the soft purple light of dusk enveloping the room. Noctis was still asleep and pressed up against him, his arm wound tight around his waist. His legs had also found their way tangled between Ignis’s.

Ignis shifted to place his glasses to the nightstand, preparing to go back to sleep. He would take this moment of respite for as long as it was offered.

As he drifted off, though, the hand around his waist twitched and flattened against his stomach. He tried not to flinch, but his muscles flexed a little at the contact.

He felt Noctis ready himself to speak, his lips moving against Ignis’s skin. Goosebumps rose up where they touched.

“How long?” Noct’s hand moved slowly to Ignis’s hip.

Ignis was suddenly very much awake. “Hmm?”

“You guys- all of you?”

It wasn’t really the same question, but Noctis didn’t need to repeat himself. Ignis nodded. He still didn’t reach out for Noctis for fear of making him even more nervous. “Years, now.”

“And you all what, just... talk about it?”

Ignis took in a long breath. “Not until recently. When you started, ah, dating. Or trying. It became apparent that we were all upset by it.”

Noct’s fingers dug into his hip. “You’re all idiots.”

“Pardon?”

“You should have said something.”

Ignis finally rolled onto his back. Noct pulled away just enough to let him, staying on his side. He looked like he had been crying.

“I’ve been dealing with the fact that I’ve liked all three of you for years and feeling fucking guilty, and then this?”

Ignis pursed his lips, unsure of how to respond. The last thing he had imagined was that this would result in discovering Noctis had feelings for any of them, let alone... all of them. “Oh.”

“Oh?” Noctis propped himself up on an elbow and scowled down at him. “That’s all you have to say?”

Ignis threw caution aside and cupped Noctis’s cheek. His skin was warm and soft, and he hated how much he wanted this contact. “I don’t know if the circumstances we are under warrant a lot of cheerfulness. But to know our feelings aren’t unrequited, in better times would have been accepted with much more excitement, I guarantee. From all of us.”

Noct let out a weak laugh and leaned into Ignis’s touch. He didn’t look back up, not even after letting out a shuddering breath. “I don’t want... now that I have _this_. It’s different.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“We will fight for our lives and yours.”

A small laugh again, full of sadness. “So goddamn poetic.”

“Noct,” Ignis didn’t sit up but he did move his hand just so, and Noctis followed it down so their faces were close.

“Let me protect you.”

Noctis studied him, focus moving across his face, then landing on his eyes. He swallowed.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Ignis sat up and lightly directed Noctis down onto his back. He wasn’t sure, really, how much _emotion_ to put into this. Their reason now was beyond that; it was survival. It was nothing like whatever Ignis or any of them actually wanted.

He tried to control his breathing as he undid the buttons of Noctis’s pants. He still couldn’t believe that this, _this_ was how he got to this place.

“Don’t you want…” Noctis trailed off. Ignis looked up. Noctis was propped up on his elbows watching him. Ignis’s gaze pulled down to where he worried his bottom lip and stayed there. There was so much in that question, so much he couldn’t even say.

“Gods do I,” Ignis breathed out.

Noctis reached out, and Ignis slid up his body at the silent command, allowing himself one moment, one breath of what he truly wanted. He dove right to those tempting lips and drank Noctis in, not pausing for something soft and romantic but instead trying to push all the years of love and dedication into this moment. No matter the circumstances, Ignis would always be dedicated to Noctis. Always.

Noctis arched up into the touch. His hands were instantly up under Ignis’s shirt and feeling his skin, lighting him on fire from within.

Ignis wasn’t going to be able to keep emotion out of this.

Noctis pulled at his lip and Ignis groaned, dragging his mouth carefully and slowly down his throat. Ignis tore himself away to move back down Noctis’s body, letting his hands trail down his sides. He could spend an eternity just worshipping his body, but that wasn’t what this was for. A thought that chipped away at his heart.

At the top of his pants, Ignis looked back up. Noct nodded.

Ignis pulled down the clothing reverently, tossed them to the side, and swallowed Noctis deep.

Noctis cried out and then covered his mouth with a hand. His other was in Ignis’s hair, resting on his head or pulling softly as Ignis worked him. He tasted delicious, salty and yet Noctis, so Noctis, and a part of Ignis wanted to weep. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, even if it would have never happened otherwise.

But Noctis whimpered and whispered his name, and a hand gripped his hair, and for a moment Ignis let himself pretend, let himself get lost in the rhythm he set and the sound of Noctis’s gasps in the quiet room.

It wasn’t long before Noctis’s breathing became more erratic. Ignis had to hold his hips down as he got closer to his release. Noctis bucked against his grip once more, his strained voice muffled behind his other hand. Ignis coaxed him through his orgasm before releasing him, and rested his forehead on Noctis’s thigh.

Ignis stayed there a moment, breathing in, but his mind worked too quickly to let the moment last. Did he feel different? Not immediately, no. Was there any way to know if anything had worked?

He hated having these thoughts, interrupting what should be the afterglow of something they had both wanted for so long now-

“Iggy?”

“Mm?” Ignis sat up and helped pull the covers up over Noctis.

“Hey wait, you’re…” Noctis leaned over. His eyes flicked down Ignis’s body, and he understood, but his own satisfaction wasn’t what this was about. Ignis took his hand and locked their fingers together, and only hoped it was okay to do so.

“You’ve been through a lot. You should get more rest.”

Noct watched him, then understood there was no room for arguing and laid back down. “Do you feel... different?”

Ignis pushed himself up to sit against the wall. Noctis curled up next to him, hands still connected.

“I don’t. So I guess we will have to wait and see.”

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Ignis closed his eyes and debated trying to sleep once more. There was some movement out in the living room, the sound of a door closing.

“Are you hungry?” Ignis offered.

Noct let out a long breath. “Ignis.”

“Yes?”

Noctis reached up. Ignis lowered himself to meet him with a simple, chaste kiss. When Noctis pulled away, his eyes were closed. Ignis swiped his thumb over a cheekbone to catch a tear that had slid down his face.

“We’ll be alright. I promise.”

Noct nodded and curled back up, head buried in the pillow. Ignis decided he would take the opportunity to rummage for food. He stood and adjusted himself, debating a shower first.

The doorknob to the bedroom jostled.

“I’ll be right,” He shouted out, then motioned to Noctis, “we need some food anyways.” and made his way around the bed. Shower later, perhaps.

“Prompto got some sandwiches from the deli downstairs.” Gladio spoke from down the hall, sounded like.

“Excellent.” Ignis unlocked the door and opened it.

Prompto stumbled away and hit the wall on the other side. His face reddened at being caught. Again. “Ah sorry, I just wanted to see if you guys were okay.”

Ignis offered a weak smile. “We’re fine. He’s resting.”

He looked over Ignis’s shoulder, then back to him. “Uh, you wanna come get some food?” He turned to walk away when Ignis nodded, and so he made to follow.

Then, coming from the room at the end of the hall, movement caught his eye. A man appeared. And something in Ignis went cold.

Black smoke poured out of empty eye sockets, and yet Ignis somehow could _feel_ that whatever this was, it was looking at him.. Long dark red hair hung messily around the thing’s human face. He...it... wore all white. And something about him, despite gruesome nature, was strangely familiar.

“Prompto, who is that.” He said, even though he already knew what the answer would be.

“Uh?” Prompto stood right beside the man as he turned back to Ignis and gave him a puzzled look, then glanced around the hallway. “Who?”

It swayed for a few beats where it stood. One strand of tangled hair dragged across Prompto’s shoulder. Ignis thought he might be sick.

Ignis first worried it would attack, but then it simply started walking down the hallway, towards where he stood in the doorway. Prompto was literally right next to him as he turned back to Ignis. It didn’t even acknowledge him as it started walking down the hall towards Ignis.

“Fuck.”

“Igg--what?!”

It opened its mouth in a silent scream. Ignis slammed the door and locked it seconds before the whole door started to shake. Prompto cursed as if startled.

“Iggy,” Noctis sounded half asleep, “what are you...what’s going on?”

Ignis took a step back from the door.

“Ignis-”

Ignis spun and Noct sat up, staring at the door.

“It seems it worked.” Ignis said.

Noct’s face went pale.

Ignis turned back to the door. “Prompto, it followed you inside.”

“What?” Prompto’s voice went into a high he hadn’t heard since high school and he heard what sounded like Prompto jumping away. “ _It’s at the door right now? Like next to me?”_

“Yes. Listen to me.” Ignis moved around the room, grabbing the knife he knew Noctis kept under his bed. He threw Noctis his pants and moved back to the door. The thing still had a hand on the knob- he could tell, because it was still moving as if the thing was trying to figure out how to make it unlock. He could even see the shadow at the bottom of the door that showed someone stood there.

This meant it had a very physical presence. Just not everyone could see it. Ignis noted that for later. It made sense with how it could attack Gladio, but now he could see to confirm the suspicions.

“Prompto, Gladio - Noctis is going to step out of the room. You’re going to take him down to the car.”

“Wait, if it’s at the door that doesn’t make any sense!”

“It’s going to go after me.”

He expected the silence that followed. He imagined the look Prompto was giving the door, and then Gladio.

“I will keep it distracted, do you understand?”

“Ignis, no!” Noctis was at his side now.

“I can’t believe there is an invisible monster right here what the fuck what the fuck.”

“Prompto! You need to focus!” Ignis gripped Noctis by the arm to command his attention next. “We can’t sit here forever. We have to move.”

“Iggy,” Gladio’s voice, this time. “What the fuck did you do.”

“Bought us time. Gladio, please go unlock the balcony in the farthest room.” He nodded at Noctis. His eyes were wide and he looked somewhere between pissed and terrified. As long as it fueled him to run, it didn’t matter right now.

“When I say, you open that door, Noctis. And remember, even though you can see it, it’s not after you right now.”

Noctis rubbed at his eyes. “I’m gonna fucking punch you later.”

Ignis couldn’t stop himself from wrapping an arm around Noctis’s shoulders. He kissed him hard on the temple, and kept his lips pressed there as he spoke. “That’s fine. I promise you can.”

Noctis let out one sob before he lifted his chin and straightened his shoulders.

Ignis moved to the balcony door and opened it, sliding out. Noctis turned the lock behind him, and headed to the door. Ignis motioned to him that he was ready.

Noctis didn’t move at first. Ignis motioned again.

Noctis clenched his fist, and opened the door.

At first Ignis couldn’t move. The sight of the thing so close to Noctis took the wind out of him, his instinct to protect overwhelming.

But then it moved past Noctis without a second glance. Noctis openly stared.

Ignis didn’t wait any longer. He ran down the balcony. He didn’t look back when he heard the glass behind him shatter.

It would only ever walk. That was the only thing that was certain, really. He hoped.

Ignis pushed his legs as fast as he could to travel around the apartment, thankful for the long balcony that wrapped around the length of it. At the far end, the second bedroom, he opened the door and closed it, then locked it. He then remembered the way the glass of the door to his apartment had been punched out, the way it had slammed through the balcony at his place.

Quickly he slid the dresser over in front of it, hoping it afforded him a little extra time.

He turned and ran. There was no time to see if this would work. The living room was empty, which meant they had left. Good. He threw open the door and closed it, locking it behind him and running towards the far end of the hallway, furthest away from the car. He took the elevator, assuming, hoping that it wouldn’t be able to, that it bought more time.

Once in the lobby, he ran towards the parking garage, ignoring the strange looks. He kept running, until he could see the car. Prompto and Noctis were in the backseat. Gladio stood outside though, leaning against the car with his bat in his good hand.

Ignis slowed as he approached, but spared a glance behind.

“The fuck, Ignis?” Gladio pushed off the car and grabbed him by the arm. “The hell do you think you’re doing?”

Ignis didn’t shrug him off, but every sound around them set off his nerves with anticipation. They needed to move. “Your house. Let’s go.”

“We aren’t leading that thing to my place!”

“It won’t hurt anyone there as long as you stay out of its way. And it’s on the other side of the city, let’s _go.”_

He pulled away and got into the driver’s seat. Gladio made a sound like a growl and got in as well. Ignis backed out, and as he turned the wheel, he glanced in the rearview mirror.

It had just entered the garage. And looked directly at them.

Ignis threw the car in drive and slammed on the gas.

Another frantic trip, but this time Ignis tried taking longer routes, hoping that it would follow exactly and not the shortest distance. It was hard to know. There was so much they didn’t know, but a small part of him felt relieved that at least now he could try to help.

But something about the way this one looked, it almost seemed like he should know it. He kept going back to that feeling.

The car ride was quiet, but the energy was chaotic. Noctis was clearly upset, Prompto was confused, and Gladio was angry. All would have to be dealt with at Gladio’s.

“Is anyone home?” Ignis asked as they neared.

“Dad is with Noct’s pop. So probably just Iris, if anyone. But she also has a friend’s she stays at a lot.”

“Let’s get settled in your room for now, and maybe we can have a meal.”

The sound of passing cards filled the silence.

“I forgot the sandwiches,” Prompto sighed.

“It’s quite alright,” he reassured him, though he knew it wouldn’t do much right now.

Gladio didn’t say another word.

Ignis pulled into the driveway of the house. It was less safe than the high-rise, but with Ignis’s balcony busted open and Prompto’s place being smaller and even less secure, they were running out of free and safe options. And considering how quickly it had still managed to get inside Noctis’s place, clearly they couldn’t count on being secure in most places.

They got out of the car, and while Gladio led the way, Prompto and Ignis were on either side of Noctis. Prompto clung to his arm, and Noctis gripped Ignis’s hand. He squeezed back.

The Amicitia house wasn't small by any means. It was in a neighborhood of mansions, of big yards and beautiful decor. It was a shame it was so far away from downtown where they always needed to be, otherwise they could be here more often.

They followed Gladio up the winding staircase to his room. Once inside, he locked the door.

“Okay,” Gladio stood at the door, looking more livid now than when they left, “spill.”

Noctis pulled away from them both and moved over to the large windowsill. He sat with his knees curled up and stared outside. Ignis supposed that was wise.

Ignis took in a small breath. “I can see it.”

Gladio pursed his lips together. “Did you even fucking think this through?”

“Of course, we all talked about this.”

“Yeah, but we didn’t all know this was the time.”

“When did you want to go through with it? When Noctis was about to die?”

“Wait, so that means..” Prompto's voice trailed and he looked over to Noctis.

“What have you learned.” Gladio said flatly to Ignis. Noctis buried a little more in his hoodie.

“It’s like Noctis said before, it doesn’t have to be…” he cleared his throat, and Gladio narrowed his eyes, “we can…” he gave Gladio a look. “We can discuss more of that later.”

Gladio shifted. “What’s it look like.”

“It’s the same as the one from the warehouse.” Noctis supplied.

“What do you mean by same,” Ignis was caught off guard by this statement.

Noctis didn’t look away from the window. “It’s like what Dino said. It looks different, every time. Changes.”

He squeezed his eyes tight for a second of reprieve. “It looks familiar though.” Ignis added.

Everyone stared at him. Ignis considered his options, and turned to Gladio.

“You have a library here, correct?”

“I...yeah?”

“Okay. Gladio, will you follow me?”

Gladio seemed hesitant to do so, but as Ignis passed him, he let out a frustrated sigh and followed. Once in the library, Ignis turned. He wasn’t a stranger to this place, had spent many late nights studying alongside Gladio. But it had been some time since he had to browse for anything in particular. It as just one room, with two floors of books, ranging from historical texts to personal libraries of each family member.

“Where are your books on the ancient kings?”

“Huh?”

“The Kings of Lucis.”

“Second floor, back wall.” Gladio gestured across the room. “I’m gonna go see if the house is clear.”

“Alright,” they parted ways. Ignis found the books quite easily and scanned the spines quickly. The Amicitias were an affluent family of Lucis, so it wasn't a surprise, the amount of literature Clarus had amassed over his time. Though the country was no longer a monarchy, the line of Caelums were still connected to the Amicitias through a bond that time couldn't remove.

Ignis found the book he had been looking for. It was a large book he recalled from his days in university, heavy and oppressive. He never imagined he would be glad to see it.

He pulled it out and wiped a hand over the cover. He opened it slowly and flipped through.

“Ah,” he lifted the book up, inspecting the page. The person on the page looked eerily familiar, as he had thought. He took the book back to Gladio’s room with him. Inside, Prompto had joined Noctis on the windowsill.

“Noct, tell me who this looks like.” Ignis held open the book and let Noctis take it from him.

Noctis dropped it as if burned. It fell open on the windowsill.

“What the fuck- that’s it. Or one of it.”

Prompto craned his neck to look at the picture. It was of a man riding a horse, waving to a town of people cheering.

“Him?”

Ignis and Noctis both nodded.

“But he looks fucked up now,” Noctis whispered, still staring at the painting. “Ignis…”

“This is Ardyn Lucis Caelum, or The Accursed. He died of poison, so they say, and his brother Somnus took the throne in his stead. That was over two thousand years ago.”

Noctis sat back.

“Wait,” Prompto grabbed the book, “who are the other ones then?”

Ignis looked at Noctis, but when he didn’t offer anything, he flipped through the book once more.

“This book is a catalogue of all the paintings we have in the museum of the monarchy before it dissolved. Noct, can you…”

Noctis sighed and looked at the book before taking it once more. Some of the paintings were the kings and queens in their full armament, so their faces were often hidden, but he did land on one… he pointed a shaky finger at the page.

“This one- he’s the one who attacked when we were in camper.”

Ignis peered over. “The Tall.”

Noctis nodded.

“That is what threw Gladio like a rag doll?”

“What?”

They all spun to see Gladio in the room as he locked the door behind him. Ignis was impressed but also not surprised he was already taking such precautions.

“I believe,” Ignis started, taking the book back, “this has something to do with dead kings.”

Gladio raised an eyebrow. “That’s some fucked up shit.”

“Agreed.” Ignis looked down at the book again. He took it from Noctis and put it on the edge of the bed. “But I think this puts us a step closer to finding out more about what is happening.”

“In the meantime, what is our plan?” Gladio walked over to Noctis and Prompto.

“Do you have your camping gear?”

“Yeah?” Gladio started to dig through his closet. “Why?”

“I want to test the length of time this takes to travel. If it moves directly, or if it will follow our path exactly.”

“You want to _play_ with it?” Gladio stopped searching.

“I want to learn, so we can defeat it.”

Gladio gave him a look, and Ignis returned it.

_Trust me._

Gladio shook his head and went back to collecting his gear.

“Noct, Prompto, get what you can for supplies as well. Food we’ll try to buy on the road. We’ll stop by your places for clothes.”

“How long do you think we’ll be gone?” Prompto scooted closer to Noctis.

Ignis looked at Gladio.

“However long we need to figure this out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay roadtrip?
> 
> Apologies for the long delay - I have this completely written but editing it is taking longer than I had thought. Writing horror takes a lot of brain power for me right now, so I hope I've done it justice here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ҉W̴̮͓̮h̰̥̦y͢ ̟̩̜̭̘̦̺̕a̹̩͚̯̞̱r͎̰̲͍͟e͓n̷̼̭̫͓̯̮̠'͍t̞̬̦̹̰ ͍̹̘̺̤͍̲y̲̗̘̻o͠u̳̬̦̠̳͔̻ s͔͝c̞̩͖̼̘ͅą̰̝̟̝r͈e̗͖̙̹̺̙͟d̩͇͓̪ o͚̫̱̬f ̴̱̝̻͉̹̹̹m̫̫̞̣e͓͕̥͓͖͞?͔̗̘͉͕̫ ҉̹̰͔͚̪W͙͎̙̹̠h͞ͅy̗̺͉͈͉͎̹͠ ̬d̹̖͈͈̱͘ͅo̰̗̦̫ͅ y̞̱̭o͚̥̜͍̻̥ͅu̠̲̺͙̫̪ ̵̮̺͕̞̮̬̞c̱ḁ̦̗̖͎r͏e͞ ̤̳f̷̬͚̺̰o̩͉̟͚̬͈r̢̫͍̦̫ ̳̣̺m͈̖̬e͚͍͚̭?̛͙̹̩̻͍
> 
>   
>   
> “This is really, really, _really_ stupid, you know that right?” Gladio stood at the edge of the pool. His body screamed no at everything happening in front of him.
> 
> “If our theory is right it should be fine.” Ignis tried to reassure, but Gladio wasn’t having it. 
> 
> “I can’t believe you agreed to this. You’re standing on a step ladder in the middle of my pool like fucking bait.”
> 
> “Not like, he _is_ bait.” Prompto corrected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: Please note the warning for graphic depictions of violence - this will continue to come up, as well as sexual content. If either would potentially bother you, please don't worry about hitting that back button. This is a horror/thriller story based on a movie with dark themes, so please keep that in mind. <3
> 
> Feel free to hit me up if you want to ask about anything before reading.

Gladio was pissed for a lot of different reasons.

Noctis had been roughed up by some asshole he went on a date with, when he could have been going out with any one of them [okay, so that was two things rolled into one he was angry about].

Noctis _and_ Ignis were fucking cursed by, what? Dead kings? Some ancient royal horseshit?

Gladio, meanwhile, had a broken arm because of something he couldn’t see to fight.

Hadn’t slept well in almost a week.

He had _finally_ gotten everyone to agree to go camping again but it was because they had to run for their literal lives.

Gladio still held a lot of reservations about Ignis being the only other person who could see this thing, and also the new target. Sure, they had all agreed that seeing it was necessary to fight it - but something in Gladio just,- It was fucked up and he hated feeling even the ounce of jealousy he did when Ignis had announced he could see it.

But now Ignis could help them figure out what the hell to do next. That was the plan.

But could Ignis fight it, was the question plaguing him now. The thing had tossed Gladio like he was a fucking feather.

Gladio finished piling his camping gear into the car and paused, staring into the trunk. It was before dawn - the others were all asleep as he had been on watch the last few hours. He rubbed his fingers, wet from dew on the car, together in thought. He took a few breaths in time with the chirp of a cricket in the distance.

All he could play on repeat was the sensation of getting grabbed by an unforeseen force, being flung across the sand, and the split second he had to try to avoid breaking his neck. Really it had been fucking _luck_ he hadn’t died out there on the beach.

Ignis was a solid fighter.

But so was Gladio.

He slammed the trunk and made his way back into the house. Maybe there was something he could do, research wise, to help Ignis with his findings. It would help him keep his mind off what he wanted, the solution he saw most viable for ensuring everyone’s safety.

When he walked into the study, Ignis was already there going through one of the books. And all his thoughts about not pushing for what he truly wanted went out the window. Ignis looked a wreck - bags under his eyes, sitting there in his sweatpants and t-shirt. He looked paler than usual - they all hadn’t been sleeping well, but in this moment Ignis clearly wasn’t trying to hide the effects like he usually would.

“Iggy? Did you sleep at all?”

Ignis rubbed his face with both hands. He didn’t look up at Gladio. “I just don’t understand why it would be the kings and queens.”

Gladio walked forward to stand beside him, hand careful on his shoulder. He needed to go about this right, to get Ignis to see his side. “It’s something that we can’t possibly know that much about, right? ‘Specially if there isn’t any reference to anything like this happening before.”

Ignis hummed in response. He turned the page.

Gladio sucked in a deep breath.

“Hey, listen,” his hand trailed down Ignis’s back to between his shoulder blades. He pushed his palm flat. Ignis responded to the intimate touch with an arched back and a click of his tongue.

“Gladio,”

“Just, come on...”

Ignis closed the book and turned in the chair. Gladio kept his hand where it was, so it dragged across his shoulders and stayed there.

Gladio licked his lips. “It’s not like we haven’t...before.”

Ignis’s eyebrows raised. He glanced to Gladio’s broken arm. “Absolutely not.”

“You can’t fucking fight it alone. I know you want me to trust you, but it’s not about that. I can’t protect you both. Not like this.”

“Your arm is broken.”

“I can still _fight_.” His hand moved to cup the back of Ignis’s neck, fingers splaying up into his hair. It had been a long time since they were together last. At the time, it’d been just sex, and it ended not long after; Ignis had not wanted to damage their friendship.

And Gladio understood that. He did.

But then years later, their mutual feelings for Noctis had come up. And during that conversation, Gladio had avoided admitting that he had never forgotten Ignis, either.

Brought back to the present by Ignis clearing his throat, he gave Gladio the look, the one that said this conversation was so done.

“We just need to get out of here and figure out a plan.”

“Iggy, please,” Gladio leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. Ignis pulled back just a little, but not enough to make Gladio feel he was holding him down. Really, he could fight back if he wanted to. “You know I’m going crazy here.”

“Guys guys I have- oHeY-”

Ignis pulled back and Gladio stood up too fast to be innocent. Prompto and Noctis stood in the door, faces a soft red.

“Yes, Prompto? You’re both up earlier than planned.” Of course, Ignis could easily act like there was nothing going on. Well, for Ignis there wasn’t, Gladio supposed. He fought the grimace forming.

“Uh, I have an idea. A test. Before we go.” Prompto looked to Gladio, fidgeting. “But we need your pool.”

Gladio glared. He would have crossed his arms, if he could. “Why?”

“We need to know if it goes in water.” Noct said from behind him. His voice still held some roughness from sleep. It was distractingly cute. “It’s all Prompto’s idea. I think we should try, before...it will probably be here soon, right? It’s almost morning.”

Gladio and Ignis exchanged a glance. He wished even more that he would just let him fucking _help_.

Ignis sighed and closed the book.

Gladio growled. “Alright, let’s try.”

* * *

“This is really, really, _really_ stupid, you know that right?” Gladio stood at the edge of the pool. His body screamed _no_ at everything happening in front of him.

“If our theory is right it should be fine.” Ignis tried to reassure, but Gladio wasn’t having it.

“I can’t believe you agreed to this. You’re standing on a step ladder in the middle of my pool like fucking bait.”

“Not like, he _is_ bait.” Prompto corrected.

Gladio wanted to smack him upside the head. He directed a look at him to say as much, and Prompto cowered behind Noctis a little. Gladio rubbed his face, the lack of sleep clearly getting to him. When he lowered his hand to apologize to Prompto, he had already moved on to inspecting his gun.

Ignis had situated himself at the top of the ladder, dressed in a pair of Gladio’s swim shorts and a shirt. All the floodlights in the backyard were on, illuminating everyone in a strong white light. It reflected off the ladder to cast a glare on the pool and strange shapes along the cement.

“I think we’ll be okay,” Noctis offered from beside him. “It’s focused on Ignis, but I can see it and try to study it more. And the car is already packed, so we just make a run for it when we’re done.”

Gladio shook his head. He knew he growled but he didn’t care. “We gonna fight it when it shows up at all?”

“I’m gonna shoot it.” Prompto said matter of factly with a twirl of his gun. Gladio regretted helping him train at all to give him this air of confidence. In another time, he would have commented on how good Prompto looked, all wide-eyed excitement and holding the gun in front of him to test the sight.

But there was one problem with the plan.

“You can’t see it.”

“We have a plan for that, too!” Prompto grinned and tapped his head with the gun. “Don’t worry, big guy.”

“Fine.” He walked around to the other side and sat in a chair at the edge of the water directly to Ignis’s right.

“Now we wait,” Ignis stretched his arms up. His shirt rode up his waist to expose some of the skin of his stomach.

Gladio watched.

He knew he had been a fool years ago to let Ignis end things. He wondered if Ignis felt the same but wouldn’t admit it considering the circumstances.

And Noct…

Gladio had considered himself straight as a fucking arrow until he met Ignis. Then he thought it was a one-time thing, urged on by his friendship with the guy. But then one day he had been sparring with Noctis and ended up on the ground face to face with him, a smirk on Noctis’ face just before he flipped the tables and pinned Gladio.

And he had felt so many things.

That awakening drove him fucking wild. And then while drinking one night he had barked it out to Ignis and Prompto and well-

That was when the walls broke down with Prompto, him knowing that Gladio liked _guys_ (or _a_ guy, since Prompto hadn’t known about Ignis) and Prompto finally opened up, and he and Gladio became closer, and then _those_ feelings between them had started-

That was that.

So now he sat there thinking about how in the hell was he going to protect these three when he had no real obligation to do so, except that he was an idiot who had fallen for them.

He shifted in his chair. Ignis sat on top of the ladder, watching over Gladio for any sign of the creature. Noctis and Prompto sat in their own chairs facing the entrance from the front.

Gladio lost track of how much time had passed to know if the thing was going to show up anytime soon or not. But as the sun started to rise and his back ached, a small part of him wished it would just hurry up so they could get this stupid idea over with and get the fuck out of there.

But also, Gladio cursed his luck as Noctis jumped out of the chair. “It’s here!”

Everyone went on alert. Prompto stood up with his gun aimed at the general direction Noctis pointed to. Ignis got himself standing on the ladder. Gladio stood but otherwise didn’t move immediately, though he wanted to.

But what he really wanted was to see the stupid thing.

Instead he had to watch while Noctis moved to the side, eyes trained on something, and Prompto followed his gaze carefully.

“What’s it look like?”

Noctis took in a breath. Gladio could tell he wanted to look away but was pushing himself not to. “This one is a woman. She’s frail, cloth over her eyes. She looks like she’s..she’s bleeding. From her stomach.”

“Have the others had wounds?” Ignis’ voice shook. He was clearly watching the thing as well, eyes wide.

“Not that I’ve seen, aside from that one that looked like Ardyn.”

“What’s it doing?” Gladio was literally going to go crazy.

“It’s just standing here, staring at Ignis.” Noct gestured with his hand near the edge of the pool. “Just an arm’s reach away.”

“It’s not going in the water,” Ignis sounded relieved.

Gladio didn’t trust anything that was happening.

Prompto nearly gave him a heart attack when he made a yelp sound of excitement. “Wait we have part two of our plan!”

He shoved the gun in the back of his pants, ran inside, and came back out with a blanket. Noct and Ignis hadn’t moved, still staring at the same spot.

Prompto looked at Noctis, holding the blanket up. “Where is it?”

Gladio watched with some sort of fear and nausea as Noctis gestured, and Prompto threw the blanket.

It didn’t land on the ground. It looks like a kid playing at being a ghost with a bedsheet.

“Holy fucking shit.” Gladio breathed out. Sure, he had been thrown from the camper, but seeing something, any sign of its physical presence, made the hairs on his arms stand up instantly.

“Prompto, shoot it!” Ignis shouted, and Gladio couldn’t blame him.

“Will this kill it?” He readied the gun and held it up, facing in a direction so it wouldn’t hit Gladio, thankfully.

“We have to try!” Noct stepped back. The blanket swayed, but it made no effort to move into the water or towards anyone else.

“Alright.”

The sound of the gun going off echoed all around them. Some birds cried out as they flew from the trees just behind them.

The blanket fell _forward_ and splashed into the pool.

Gladio’s blood went cold as it sunk into the water like a weird jellyfish. Slowly it drifted towards the ladder.

“Fuck!” He screamed. “Iggy get out of there!” If that thing wasn't dead, then Ignis was fucked and they all just stood there and let it happen.

Ignis dove off the ladder and towards the deep end. The blanket had stopped moving, but there was a trail of something in the water. It was dark, but not like blood. Like a deep black color. And it looked like it was moving.

“It’s not dead!” Noct shouted out. His voice cracked with panic. “Get out of there Iggy!”

Prompto tried to aim his gun at the blackness as it moved. He fired, but of course it did nothing. Meanwhile, Gladio ran around the pool to where Ignis had reached the edge and offered his hand.

“Get out get out hurry!” Noctis’s voice almost sounded like a shriek. Ignis grabbed Gladio’s hand and he started to pull up but hit resistance.

Ignis screamed out in pain and looked behind him. “It’s got my ankle!”

“I got you!” Gladio pulled back as hard as he could with his good hand. His shoes didn’t have decent traction on the cement though, and he nearly lost his footing. He skidded forward without losing his grip, but another strong tug on Ignis’ ankle nearly dragged him into the water. Ignis had both hands around his forearm to try to pull himself up, but whatever had a hold of him wasn’t letting go easily. Prompto appeared at Gladio’s side, gun in hand.

“Idiot! Give the gun to Noct!”

“He can’t shoot!”

“You can’t see!”

“Prompto just do it!” Ignis held on, but Gladio could tell he was in pain. Prompto fired. He hit something in the water. Gladio only prayed it wasn’t Ignis.

The tension released and Gladio went flying backwards. Prompto knelt and helped Ignis out of the pool.

“Go go go!” Gladio barked. They all scrambled to their feet and ran. Gladio threw a towel from the table to Ignis, and they piled into the car with Prompto driving.

“Where to!” He shouted.

Ignis and Gladio were in the back. Ignis shivered in his seat. Gladio wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Ignis was weirdly quiet. Gladio squeezed his shoulder. “We need to get everyone’s stuff from their places. We’ll go in order, who’s closest?”

“Me,” Prompto said as he pulled out of the driveway.

“Any sign of it?” Gladio whispered. Ignis didn’t look. Noctis was the one who shook his head.

Gladio let out a frustrated sigh. “Fucking Astrals.”

Ignis stayed silent, curled up under his arm. Gladio didn't miss the way Noctis looked back at them.

“Take the long way,” Gladio instructed. Prompto nodded.

The remainder of the drive no one spoke. Gladio was sure they were all thinking the same - It didn’t go in the water willingly. At least it didn’t seem like it would. The question was whether or not it would have eventually found the stairs. So, if it were say... at a coastline...what would it do?

Gladio’s hand tightened on Ignis’s shoulder. He really hated this. Really fucking hated it.

At Prompto’s house, they stayed in the car while Prompto ran in and grabbed a bag of stuff. Gladio wondered how he was able to pack so fast. He was back in the car under 10 minutes, bag in the trunk, and then back in the driver’s seat.

“Iggy next?”

Noctis nodded, and Prompto peeled out.

Gladio started to do the math. From his place to Prompto’s was twenty minutes the long way. Straight shot probably eighteen miles give or take. So just that walk should have them at about 6 hours. That would make sense considering they left Ignis’s place, which was 40 minutes roughly away, that it found them when it did.

So for now, they had some time.

They would have to start guessing on this more, if they were going to just keep trying to outrun this thing.

At Ignis’s, Gladio took him upstairs while the others waited in the car. He stood awkwardly in the kitchen while Ignis changed to dry clothes and collected his stuff. He nervously tapped on the counter. His eyes landed on the broken patio door.

“Iggy.” He stepped into the bedroom. Ignis stood at the foot of the bed, putting some clothes into a bag. He paused, just a moment, before packing more.

“I’m almost done.”

“That’s not what I meant.” He wrapped his hand around Ignis’s wrist.

“Gladio,”

“I could have done more back there. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Is that all it is?” Ignis didn’t move. Gladio tightened his grip.

“No.”

The confession hung in the air between them. Ignis relinquished his hand and resumed packing, and Gladio stepped away. Ignis cleared his throat and slung the bag over his shoulder, before finally making eye contact.

“We should go.”

“Right.”

Gladio took that as his answer. He followed Ignis out of the apartment and back down to the car.

The last stop was Noctis’. The sun was out by now.

“After Noct, what’s the plan?”

Ignis had come back around a little more since stopping by his house. “We stay in a hotel just outside the city to get some sleep. Then we go to the ferry in Galdin Quay in the morning.”

Water, of course.

Gladio nodded. There was more space now between he and Ignis. Even with his arm across the backseat. He didn’t like it, but he also knew it was his fault.

They pulled into Noctis’ place. It felt like it had been ages since they had been there, so much had happened. This time Ignis and Gladio stayed in the car while Noctis and Prompto went up.

He tried to break the silence. “Surprised you didn’t go up to supervise them.”

“Yes well. I’m rather tired, if I’m honest.”

Gladio chanced a glance. Ignis leaned against the window, forehead pressed against it.

“It’s been a long few days.”

“Feels like longer.”

Gladio huffed. Ignis had his arms crossed, so he just tapped his shoulder, once, with the arm that stretched out over the seat between them.

“We’ll get on the ferry, that will buy us a lot of time.”

“Mm.”

Gladio pulled back, leaning against the door.

“Gladio,”

“Ya?” He didn’t move. Both of them were pushed up against their respective doors, creating a weird space between them.

“I don’t know if you truly understand what you’re asking for.”

He shifted a little. “Did you?”

Ignis pursed his lips and closed his eyes. “I thought I did. But...it’s terrifying, Gladio.”

This time, he moved closer and rested a hand on Ignis’s leg, just above his knee. He wasn’t sure what to say. But Ignis still didn’t look at him. It broke him a little bit more.

“There’s so many layers. How the curse moves. Who we are seeing? And the way victims die, we only know what we do from bodies found in horrific ways. But why? What caused this?”

A stutter of a breath. Fingers pinching at his nose. Gladio squeezed a little.

Ignis placed a hand over his own, fingers slotting in between each other.

“I’m willing to risk it.” Gladio muttered. He meant it, he really did. He didn’t know how else to convey that to Ignis.

“It’s foolish.”

“Iggy, I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I feel like this is the same conversation over and over.”

“Then just let me--”

Iggy uttered something that sounded like a string of curse words and moved fast - lips were on Gladio’s before he could pull back. But he didn’t want to.

He remembered kissing Ignis, all those years ago back in high school. When they were young and thought maybe being more than friends would be something they could do. Back then Ignis was tentative, soft, and usually eager to be led. Gladio, though also new to the whole thing, had charged forward because that’s what he did best. Use brute strength to figure shit out.

The tables had clearly turned.

Ignis kissed him hard. His hand wrapped around the back of his neck and pulled at the strands of hair. His tongue pushed past his lips, and Gladio fell back against his seat. Just a few heartbeats, and Gladio found himself pressed up against the door with Ignis draped over him, leg between Gladio’s knees and one hand trailing down his chest.

Gladio put his good hand on Ignis’s chest, because gods did he want this and more, for so many reasons but also --

“They’ll be back any minute, Iggy.”

That seemed to knock some sense into Ignis’s head. He looked around, then sat back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’m …”

“Don’t you even fucking think about apologizing.” Gladio surged forward and tugged him by the collar of his shirt for one more kiss. It was like fire on his lips, his tongue, engulfing him and fuck if he couldn’t sit there all night just kissing like this.

He pulled back, giving Ignis his best _ya what about that_ look. Ignis gave a soft smile - and he realized it was the first one he had seen in days.

Everything was so shitty. Fuck.

“We can talk more. In Altissia.” Ignis situated himself in his seat and spared a glance out the rearview window.

For a second, Gladio’s pulse spiked. This was their life now, this constant fear and panic.

“Here they come.”

Gladio did his best to look like he had been napping as the other two piled Noctis’ stuff into the trunk. He feigned a yawn when they got into their seats.

“Took you long enough,” Gladio grunted.

“No doubt because nothing was where it needed to be,” Ignis chimed in. Noctis and Prompto sounded off various excuses and outcries, but they were quickly on the road again. Ignis gave directions to a small hotel on the way to Galdin, in the small town of Longwythe. By the time they arrived, it was past dinner, but they were all too exhausted to be hungry.

There was just one room left. Gladio spared a glance to the others, who only seemed eager to sleep. And that was fine. Totally. He was definitely ready to share a bed with any of the guys that he was super crushing on.

He almost snorted out loud at his thoughts, and that he had actually thought the word _crush_.

Once inside the room, thankful for two beds at least, Noctis called dibs on the bathroom first. Prompto clamored into the bed furthest from the door, so Gladio took the one closest to it.

He was still pissed he couldn’t see the threat, but he would put himself between it and the others as much as he could.

Once everyone had taken turns getting ready for sleep, Ignis slid under the covers beside him. He turned so his back was to Gladio, and so he faced the door and allowed himself to go to sleep.

* * *

The sounds of people moving around the room stirred him awake. The sun was bright through the window, and it was just him and Noctis still in their beds. Which really wasn’t all that surprising, except that _he was_ still in bed.

“Rise and shine, big guy!” Prompto was suddenly in front of his face, smiling brightly. Gladio groaned.

“What time is it?”

“Ten,” Ignis spoke up, “We should be moving. Our time here is running short.”

“Right. Someone wake up sleeping beauty?”

  
“On it!” Prompto flew over to the other bed and landed directly on top of Noctis. While he tried to wrestle him awake, Gladio sat up and rubbed his face with his hand. He felt like he had been run over with a truck.

“You alright?” Ignis asked as he handed him a bottle of water.

Gladio took it with thanks and chugged nearly the whole thing. “Just need to get on that boat.”

“Right,” Ignis moved on to packing up their bags. Gladio got ready, and soon they were downstairs checking out and grabbing what they could from the complimentary breakfast. Which meant mostly dry bagels and tiny cartons of shitty orange juice, but whatever.

This time Ignis drove, so Gladio was in the back with Noctis, who passed out again the second they hit the road. Prompto was all nervous energy, bouncing around in the passenger seat.

He realized when he looked at his phone, that it had been a full week since things had started on this downward spiral. He had lost track of time, of reality.

Gladio didn’t even want to think about how they were going to continue to manage their real lives - it was likely the last thing on everyone’s minds anyways, what with running for their lives and all.

A couple hours later they were back down in Galdin Quay. They parked and rolled out of the car.

“Don’t unpack just yet,” Ignis said, “we’ll get our tickets first.”

Everyone nodded and followed Ignis. He looked like himself again today, wearing a simple short sleeve polo shirt and pants and his shiny shoes, but his hair still down. Gladio wondered if he forgot hair gel or just didn’t care enough.

They stepped down the stairs towards the ferry, and all froze.

“Closed?” Prompto shouted. He ran up to the gate with a big sign that gave no further info, hands clinging to it. There was no ferry to be seen, and no one to even ask what the fuck was happening.

Ignis immediately turned on his heel and charged back up. They followed frantically and caught him just as he got to the front desk.

“Indefinitely?” he shouted out. The poor person working the desk cowered.

“Government’s orders. We are on lock down due to a string of...” he lowered his voice, “murders. Though it’s been a few days, so we had hoped we could open again.”

Gladio’s blood went cold. The government probably thought some whack job was roaming the countryside. It made sense, technically, but in this moment, he really didn’t appreciate it.

He walked up to Ignis and grabbed him gently by the bicep. “Thank you,” he smiled at the worker. “Come on, let's go.”

He pulled Ignis, who was about to burst a blood vessel or ten. They quickly walked back to the car. They huddled under the shade of the parking space.

Ignis paced. Gladio tried to keep things moving. “Noct, doesn't your dad have any connections out here?”

“What, to a boat?” Noctis made a face.

“Or someone with a boat, come on.”

Noctis leaned against the car. Ignis opened the front door and sat, legs hanging out, both arms on the steering wheel. Prompto sat on the ground next to Ignis.

Gladio placed himself next to Noct, shoulders bumping. “Just give him a quick call, see if he knows someone.”

“Fine,” he pulled out his phone and dialed, walking away from Gladio and the group. Gladio opted not to move - he could hear Ignis and Prompto talking, softly, and didn’t want to interrupt. As Noct eventually hung up and walked back towards them, he didn’t seem to be in terrible spirits. So maybe there was hope.

“He knows someone down in Cape Caem who works the lighthouse, he says they have a yacht there. Well his. He has a yacht there.”

“Well, that was much more than I expected,” Ignis laughed.

“There’s one problem though,” Noctis pocketed his phone, “the guy who takes care of it doesn’t live down there or anything, he’s in Lestallum, so would need to go there first to find him and get the keys.”

Gladio pushed off the car. Prompto rose up, and they all got into the car with Ignis at the wheel again.

“So, we have to drive all over Lucis basically just to get on a boat?”

Noctis groaned and sank into his seat. Gladio clamped down on his knee. “Hey, you said we might need to camp out.”

“And I thought this couldn’t get fucking worse.”

“We packed camping shit! What did you expect?”

“That I would be on a ferry to Altissia. Camping was just a backup plan.”

Ignis started driving. Noctis curled in on himself, and Gladio couldn’t help but ruffle up his hair. Things were rough, but even this little bit of attitude was still an improvement over Noctis just not doing anything.

It was mid-afternoon as they drove towards Lestallum, and Gladio kept himself occupied with the one book he managed to snag. Prompto also was napping, which was a surprise.

Every now and then, he and Ignis would glance at each other. He thought about their time in the car the day before. Maybe Ignis was changing his mind.

They stopped once at a rest stop for additional supplies at his urging. Gladio walked out with bags full of soda and Ignis gave him a look.

“I have an idea.” He shrugged. Ignis studied him, then helped load the cans into the now almost full trunk. Ignis insisted he continue driving, no matter how much he offered to take his place.

As the sun started to set, their stomachs were growling and Ignis had nearly nodded off once despite the constant intake of coffee. But there was nothing but wilderness all around them.

“Alright, I’m calling it. Pull over here, I bet there’s somewhere we can camp near the road.”

Ignis did so, ignoring Noctis’ small whines. Gladio hopped out of the car and ran ahead to look for a spot. Sure enough, he found a large flat rock elevated above ground just off the road. It was surrounded by trees, which worked out perfect for his plan. He grinned and turned back to the car, getting everyone to grab their stuff and move. While Noctis and Prompto struggled with the tent, Gladio got to work on his plan.

He took the fishing line he bought, and the soda, and emptied them all as he walked around the campsite. He tied each one to the line through the tab and used trees to hold them up above the ground.

This thing, it didn’t stop for obstacles. He figured this was like setting up an alarm system all around them.

He looked over everything proudly. And hopped up on the rock.

“Still no tent? You guys are useless.”

The other two had completely given up and were sitting in chairs around the fire, playing a game on their phone. Ignis offered a shrug, but he had set up his workbench and started cooking.

Gladio didn't mind more busy work. It kept his mind off everything. He set up the tent and got the air mattresses inflated. By the time he was done, he was fucking starving. He plopped into a chair just as Ignis handed him a noodle dish that smelled amazing.

He moaned. “I fucking love you, you know that right?”

Ignis paused. Gladio almost dropped his food. Noctis and Prompto were busy shoveling food in their mouths and staring at him.

“Uh,” Noct dropped his spoon.

“It's just a soup, big guy.”

Ignis took his own bowl and sat in the chair on the opposite side of the fire. Gladio knew his face was hot and blushing like some punk kid.

“The cans, that is smart,” Ignis commented.

Gladio was thankful for Ignis to change the topic.

“Thanks, but I still think we need people on watch.” He looked over to Noctis and Prompto. “We need one person who can actually see it if the alarm goes off.”

This got their attention. “We can go first!” Prompto shouted out. “We have a raid we can play tonight.”

“Great.”

After food, Gladio and Ignis said their goodnights and set their alarms for 4 hours from that point. It wasn't a lot of sleep but. Hey, lives at risk and all that.

Climbing into the tent, Gladio motioned to the one against the farthest from the door. “You should sleep there, so I’m in between you and the door.”

“Does that matter?” Ignis slowly got undressed, and Gladio did the same, trying to resist the urge to look behind him.

“Sure, I mean, it could kick me first who knows.”

A small laugh. “Sure.”

Ignis stripped into his boxers and a shirt and climbed to the bed. Gladio took the sleeping bag two over.

A part of him hoped Ignis would reach for him. Signal Gladio could get closer.

“See you in a few hours, Gladio.”

“See you,” he sighed and rolled over.

* * *

The alarm sounded. Gladio really didn't want to wake up. But Ignis pressed a hand to his lower back, and Gladio was up faster than he thought possible.

They dressed comfortably and for the cold, and stepped outside. Prompto and Noctis were surprisingly still awake, though barely, and the fire was almost out.

“Get to bed you lazy bums,” Gladio swatted at Prompto’s ass when he passed and he yelped and ran inside the tent. He stoked the fire and got it roaring again, and was more than happy when Ignis handed him a cup of fresh coffee.

“Bless,” He took a careful sip. Ignis took the chair beside him, also taking a drink.

All around them it was dark aside from the fire. A soft wind every now and then, and the sound of the fire crackling. He wasn’t used to feeling nervous, but there was something in the energy between he and Ignis that he wasn't sure what to do with. Things were unsaid, unresolved.

He had nearly finished his coffee when Ignis set his cup down on the ground. He pushed off the chair and stood in front of Gladio, blocking the fire and making his heart jump into his throat.

“Iggy?”

He got down on his knees in front of Gladio. He had never seen anything so _hot_ in his life.

“What are you doing?”

“You were right, about a lot of things.” Ignis’s hands slid up his thighs.

Gladio’s breath caught. “Ya?”

He lowered his voice. “I thought you moved on.” Hands moved to his waist. Ignis moved in close, chest sliding between his legs.

His good hand moved up Ignis’s arm. “Iggy listen, whatever we did when we were young, we were dumb. The things we said-”

“But also you -” Ignis looked towards the tent.

Gladio wished he had both hands, so badly. He cupped Ignis’s jaw to get their faces closer. “What about you?”

Ignis studied him. “I want us all to be safe. I want us all together. I don't want anyone to be hurt.”

Gladio understood all too well. He tipped Ignis’s chin up and brushed their lips together. “I’m here. We’ll be okay.”

“You can’t protect us all.”

“You can bet your ass I’m gonna try.”

Ignis surged up, and this time their kiss was softer. There was a sadness to it. Gladio wrapped his arm around Ignis’s waist. Ignis pulled away. His hand dropped into Gladio’s lap, and he let his head fall back against the chair.

“Iggy please,” his hips bucked up against that hand.

“Gladio, I don't know if I can--”

“Ignis, I want you to fucking touch me. Fuck me. I fuck you. Something. Please.”

When there was no response, Gladio lifted his head. Ignis sat there, still between his legs, worrying his lip. It was something he had never seen before, this kind of hesitation from him.

Ignis leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Gladio’s chest. “I don't want you to hate me later.”

“I want this. You aren't doing anything to me I’m not accepting full responsibility for.”

Ignis groaned.

“Iggy, if you don't want to, because it’s me, that’s different.”

He snapped his head up. “Did you think the car was me not wanting anything?”

“I don't know! Fear does weird, irrational things to people. And it's not like we’ve ever talked about it.”

“No, you’re right.” Foreheads touched. Gladio wrapped his arm back around his waist and kept him close.

“I’ve been conflicted. I’ve always had feelings...for more than _him._ But it seemed irrational, to hold those feelings.”

“Hmm” Gladio kissed his cheek, and Ignis shuddered. “Come here.”

“I don't think these chairs-”

“Shut up.”

He pulled and Ignis followed, climbing into his lap. It was awkward because Ignis was so tall, but his legs on the ground helped keep him balanced. And thanks to their sweatpants, their erections could be felt against one another. They both hissed and groaned at the contact. Gladio pulled Iggy down into a searing kiss.

Gladio moved first, their hips pushing together and the friction enlightening. He shouldn't have been so excited about clothed grinding, but Ignis made such good _sounds_ in his throat and shoved his tongue deeper and Gladio lost himself in the feeling. He let go of Ignis’s waist and brought his hand down to squeeze his ass.

That earned a stronger push of hips against his, and Ignis leaned against him more. His fingers dug into his hip bones.

“Iggy,” he whispered between kisses, “I’m about to lose my fucking mind here,”

“In case you didn't notice this was poorly planned,”

“Huh?”

“We’re outside.”

“Oh fucks sake,” Gladio shifted and Ignis made a small sound that was strangely endearing. He adjusted his sweatpants and Ignis understood quickly. Soon they were both exposed to the cool night air. Gladio wrapped his hand around them.

One strong stroke, and Ignis moaned. He kissed Gladio and moaned again against his lips. The vibrations against his mouth, and the feeling of how hard Ignis was in his hand, Gladio wasn't going to last long at all. They both pushed up into his hands, their moans mingling in their mouths.

It was quick work, but he didn't have it in him to feel embarrassed. He came first and realized too late he bit down on Ignis’s lip hard enough to draw blood. But he sucked on the wound, and that seemed to do something, because Ignis followed him quickly.

Their breaths and the crackling of the fire surrounded them both.

“Iggy?”

He pulled off his sweatshirt without looking at Gladio. He did his best to clean up while Gladio watched his face.

“Iggy.”

Their eyes met. He looked so tired, so worried.

“It’s okay,” Gladio repeated. “We’re in this together, okay?”

Ignis nodded, and it was so weird to see him so emotional. Exposed. He wasn't used to dealing with that at all. Not from Ignis.

“We’re going to have to explain this to them in the morning.”

“Fine. Whatever. They’re adults.”

He heard some shuffling from the direction of the tent. They both looked over. A small sound, like a moan, came from that direction.

Ignis sighed. “What are they doing.”

Gladio tried not to think about the idea of those two together, because he really wouldn't be doing himself any favors.

“Not fair, you and Prompto getting in on the action with him and not me.”

“Oh, am I not enough for you.” He had them tucked back into their sweats.

Gladio leaned up to kiss his chin. “Why can't I have it all?”

“You would,” Ignis said but there was some mirth behind it, because they were all in the same boat, of course.

“The sun’s coming up,” Gladio leaned back. Ignis didn't move though, resting against his chest, and he couldn't complain at all.

“We should probably go soon, if we want to get ahead of it.”

Gladio sighed. “Ya.” The sound of cans hitting each other made him sit up. “Iggy,”

“I heard it.”

They were both out of the chair instantly, looking in the direction of the sound. Gladio had set up the cans at some distance, just far enough they could hear but still have time to act.

He stood at the edge of the rock and focused on the direction the sound came from. He braced for the moment when he would finally see this thing that had turned their lives into a collective mess.

“Gladio, it's there.”

With a sinking feeling he turned to Ignis, who was also focused ahead. But his stare gave off the idea he was looking at something.

“You can't see it, can you?”

Gladio growled. “What do you mean, why can't I?

“I believe I know. We'll have to talk more later...for now pack up and I'll distract it away from here.”

“Fuck fine. Noct, Prompto, get outta here now we gotta go!” Gladio tried to focus on getting everything torn down. The others emerged and he barked orders.

“Iggy!” Gladio shouted, hoping his voice would carry. They made for the car, and Ignis appeared from the other side of the campsite with sweat running down his temples.

“We good?” Noctis asked. Gladio didn't miss how he looked behind them as they piled into the car.

“Let’s just get moving.” He took the driver's seat, Gladio in the back with Noctis. He drove away, and Gladio studied Noctis’ expression as he looked out the window.

“You see it?”

Noctis nodded slowly, then turned and settled into his seat. He turned his gaze to Gladio, and he tried to act distracted, pulling up his phone.

“You can’t see it?” He whispered.

Gladio shot him a look. Shook his head.

“What did you…” Noctis paused and glanced over to Ignis.

Gladio just grunted and sat back. He wasn't going to have this conversation here, like this. It didn't work, so it didn't matter.

“Where to?” He asked instead. Noctis’ eyes narrowed, but he didn't push at least.

“I’m going to drive us to Lestallum. We can get in a hotel there, get some proper rest. Gives us time.”

Gladio leaned back and closed his eyes. “Wake me when we get there.”

He hadn't thought he would sleep for that long, or that well, but apparently, he slept through a rest stop and everything. Prompto was the one shaking his shoulder to wake him in the backseat once they had parked.

He grumbled but got on the move. They left most of their stuff in the car save for their bags and made their way to the Leville Hotel.

Gladio was mildly familiar with the city. He had been there a few times when he as a kid with his family, and then later he had been known to come down here to eat some good food. And they had a cup noodle museum.

But the way he usually felt, excitement and looking forward to a relaxing weekend, was all overshadowed by this fucking. Thing. Following them.

The three of them hung back while Ignis got the rooms sorted. He came up to them holding two room keys.

“For you,” Ignis handed one to Noctis and motioned to Prompto.

“And us,” He held onto the other key but pointed it in Gladio’s direction.

Gladio raised an eyebrow. The other two shared a look. He only hoped his face didn’t give anything away, any hope of what he thought Ignis might have been intending.

Ignis cleared his throat. “Let’s get some proper rest. We’ve been driving all day. Everyone is free to get their own food. Noct, just remember to get the key from your father’s contact.”

“Will do,” Noctis saluted.

“I need a fucking shower,” Gladio exclaimed. He shrugged his bag onto his shoulder and motioned with his chin. “Lead the way.”

Iggy studied him like he was a mutant before moving ahead. Noctis and Prompto were already moving on, chattering about all the things they could check out in the city.

“How long do you think we have?”

“It took us 6 hours to get here. So we have another 6 or so before it reaches us.”

“That’s not much time.” The door dinged. The other two rolled out and nearly ran to their room. It was nice to see Noctis relaxed for the moment. Even though they weren't safe, he technically was. For now.

But Ignis...

They entered their room. Gladio stepped in and dropped his bag on the bed nearest the door, not even asking first.

“Gonna shower.”

“Mm.”

He didn’t look behind him, just got into the bathroom and stripped quickly and turned on the water.

He had half a mind to invite Ignis in. That was the whole point of that morning, wasn't it? To get Gladio to see this fucking thing.

He stood there, naked, hand on the doorknob. Maybe the moment was gone. Maybe Ignis regretted it. Maybe--

A knock made Gladio jump and nearly shout out, held back only by basically biting his tongue.

“Gladio?”

“I-ya? Do you need the bathroom?”

Quiet. Gladio grabbed a towel out of politeness and wrapped it around his waist hurriedly, just holding it closed at his hip. He opened the door and peeked out.

Ignis stood there, looking him up and down.

“Ya?”

“About this morning.”

Gladio sighed and opened the door fully. Ignis finally made eye contact.

“I took advantage of you. Of the situation. And it wasn't fair to you, and it wasn’t even accurately done. It was…” He sighed and returned to studying the floor.

“Don’t be such an idiot. Why are you being so hard on yourself? We both knew what we were doing. I wasn’t _misled_ or some shit.”

Ignis licked his lips and opened his mouth. He was clearly thinking.

Gladio was really done with overthinking everything, at this point.

“Look, I’m gonna take a shower.” He stepped back. Dropped his towel. Ignis lifted his head, and Gladio caught how his eyes trailed up his body once more.

“You’re welcome to join me, or not. Whatever.” He turned and went back to the shower. He didn't look behind him - he didn't want to risk being disappointed.

He stepped in the stall as he heard the door close. He turned when he stepped under the water. Ignis stood there, watching him, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. Gladio got under the shower head and leaned his head back to douse his hair, but they kept eye contact. Ignis slowly took off his clothes and Gladio let the water run over him.

He grabbed the soap and scrubbed it over his body slowly. Ignis slid the door open and stepped inside, a slightly wariness to him that had Gladio wanting to just. Make him lose himself a little. For a second.

Gladio looked him over, lean muscle and erection evident. Gladio sucked in a breath. Ignis was clearly looking at him as well.

He pressed up against the wall to allow for space. Ignis stepped forward and under the water, letting it run over his shoulders. He let out a sigh.

Gladio leaned over and kissed his shoulder. When Ignis tilted his head away, Gladio listened to the silent instruction and kissed, slowly, trailing up his shoulder, to his collarbone, his throat.

At his jaw, Gladio bit softly. Ignis’s eyes closed, his lips parted.

Gladio took him in his hand. He moaned just as Gladio covered his mouth with his own.

That morning had been something that had a purpose, and this probably did too, but now they had broken that wall that they had built up years ago. Now it was like muscle memory coming back as they kissed, water running over them both. Ignis shifted and pressed him up against the wall, and the contrast of the cool tiles against his back and the hot water on his front and Ignis pulling at his cock, it had his mind spinning. Before long they were both panting against each other’s mouths, hands moving in time with each other -

“Wait, we need-” Gladio somehow had the fucking brain cells to think.

“I brought it in with me. On the shelf.”

Gladio looked to his left. There was a bottle of lube there. “You fucking minx.”

Ignis looked coy, for a second. He grabbed the bottle with his free hand, his other still working Gladio.

“I want you,” Gladio whispered, “I fucking want this. Iggy please.”

Ignis made a sound like a hiss and pulled Gladio gently away from the wall and out of the direct path of the water.

“What--”

In answer to his question, Ignis handed him the bottle and leaned over, hands braced on the wall. Legs spread, looking over his shoulder with hooded eyes.

“Astrals...” Gladio exhaled. He immediately was on Ignis, lubing up his hand. He pressed up against his back while he slid his fingers in, slowly, one by one.

“Gladio, just,” he breathed out, and moaned, his body pushing against Gladio’s hand and fuck, Gladio almost forgot what the fuck this all would be like.

“I got you,” he whispered. The water on his back was almost too hot for his skin but he didn’t care. He used more of the lube on himself and slid up against Ignis’s entrance. He nudged back against Gladio, urging him on.

“Fuck, Iggy, fuck.” He pushed, slowly, and he moaned so loudly it made Gladio lose the last of his composure. Once he was buried fully, he leaned forward and rested his head between Ignis’s shoulder blades.

“You feel so good,” he mouthed at the skin. Ignis let out another beautiful sound and moved his hips experimentally, which made Gladio moan loudly this time. He didn’t move from his position, but still rocked his hips and it felt so fucking _good_.

Gladio picked up his rhythm, and Ignis followed, pushing his hands on the wall to give more pressure, arching his back up against him. And it was perfect, amazing, fuck-

Gladio cried out his completion against Ignis’s hair. He gripped Ignis, who soon called out his name with a gasp.

Gladio rocked a few more times before slowly pulling away. He let the water roll down him and washed himself off, watching Ignis’s back muscles as he straightened up.

When he turned around, Ignis was focused, eyes trained on him. “Gladio-”

“Don't mention. It. Not yet.” Gladio lifted one hand, and Iggy listened to the silent ask. They held each other under the water. Gladio closed his eyes, holding Ignis close. He was asking for a lot, to not talk about it when it was all their lives were about these days.

“We’ll figure it out. And now you have back up.”

“It will be after you.”

“I can handle it.”

“You’re still down an arm.”

“I stand by what I said.”

Ignis pressed his forehead to Gladio’s shoulder. The water started to turn cold.

“Come on, let’s get some food.”

He moved slowly, gauging how he felt. Was he supposed to feel something different, now that some sort of...what? Kings? Were after him? He didn’t feel different. If anything, he felt.

Great?

It was fucked up. He knew it.

Once dried off and back in their clothes, they were at the door. Gladio stopped Ignis by the arm.

“Hey, listen.”

Green eyes focused on him. His hair was down, still damp on the ends. Face still red from the shower.

“We got this.” He leaned forward and kissed him softly. He worried Ignis wouldn't respond, that he was using this for exactly what it was - a means.

But Ignis leaned into the kiss, laid a hand on his chest. Gladio smiled.

“What will you tell Noct?”

He tilted his head. “What, you think that’s done?”

Gladio raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Iggy smiled, then shrugged and adjusted his glasses. “Dinner?”

Gladio felt something in his chest and was giddy, his mind suddenly producing scenarios that were probably super uh, inappropriate, given the circumstances.

Like of all four of them-

“Gladio?”

“Yupo. Dinner.”

Ignis smirked like he knew what was going on through his head. And he probably did, the fucking jerk.

* * *

“We should check on them,” Ignis announced as they walked back to their room after dinner. “I want to get moving before it gets too close this time.”

Gladio looked at his phone - it had been just about six hours since they arrived.

Iggy knocked at the door. “Noct? Prompto?”

There was some shuffling, and then the door opened with Prompto standing there, in his sweatpants and shirtless. Behind him Noctis was clearly curled up in bed. Ignis sighed.

“Have you eaten?”

“Ya, we went out and grabbed some stuff.”

“We have to leave in an hour, got it?”

“Roger!”

“And Noct is driving, if he’s been sleeping.”

Prompto gave a mock salute. He looked at Noctis, whose back was to them. When he turned around, his expression changed to worry. He stared at Gladio, eyes narrowed. And he looked right at Gladio.

“What?” Gladio barked.

“Is it you now?”

Ignis lifted a hand. “That’s not-”

“Ya,”

Gladio and Ignis shared a look. Gladio shrugged. “I mean, he was gonna find out when I could see the thing.”

Ignis relented. “An hour, ready to go. Got it?”

Prompto nodded, though Gladio caught how he was studying them booth. He was way more perceptive than they gave him credit for. They went back to their room and focused on getting their stuff together. Within the hour, there was a knock at their door. Ignis let in the others.

Noctis looked half asleep but had a cup of shitty hotel coffee in hand. “Where to next?”

“Not too far, but somewhere we can prepare, so probably another campsite. While we wait.”

“Wait?”

“Gladio needs to see it, but safely.”

“Why not just wait here?” Gladio asked.

“No easy exits. There’s other people, so it could be more difficult to know who it is.”

“But out there it could come from anywhere.”

“We’ll figure something out.” Ignis moved forward with his bag in hand, and Gladio figured that was the end of that conversation. So he followed, and the others behind him. Noctis fell in at his side, while the other two walked ahead.

“So. “Noctis whispered.

“So.”

“You’re ok with this?”

“Better than feeling helpless.”

“But now--”

“Don't try that shit on me again. We’re way past that ‘don’t want you to get hurt’ convo. And you know where I stand about everything.”

Noct fell quiet. They got onto the street and walked through the alleyways towards their car. They fell a little further behind. Ahead of them, Prompto was chatting with Ignis, gesturing wildly and tugging on his arm.

“Prompto feels...I don't know. Left out? Which is weird. But I can tell.”

Gladio cleared his throat. The images from earlier invaded his mind. “He’s still important.”

“I don’t think it’s like that.”

“No, I mean. Strategically. We need someone who _can't_ see it. So we can make sure whether or not it’s real. Like today.”

They neared the car. Noctis stopped Gladio before they got closer to the others, his hand tight on his bicep. He tugged on Gladio to get him closer, and his eyes were intense as he stared him down.

“Noct, whatever you’re thinking, we need to be careful.”

His hand dragged down Gladio’s arm before he stepped away. Gladio pressed forward and got into the car. The drive was quiet, and so Gladio was left to his thoughts wandering about what would they be doing now. And other questions like - could the curse go backwards? Could he give this back to Ignis? Or was that only through death? The reality was that they had no idea. It was all guess work.

Noctis eventually pulled over at Ignis’s direction to a small campsite they could see from the road. After some walking in the dark, led by their flashlights, they approached the space. It had a river on one side, and high rocks behind them. It wasn’t the smoothest surface, but he caught on right away there would be limited points of entry by camping near the water and not up on top of the flatter rock. Gladio set his stuff own and looked around.

“Not bad, Iggy.”

“We came here once, years ago.”

Gladio looked around again. Since it was dark, so he barely recognized it, but he did recall - “Oh that time I managed to get you all camping, there’s fish here right?”

“Oh ya!” Noctis ran towards the river. “Why didn't I bring my fishing stuff shit.”

“Well, being chased by a demonic king does that.” Prompto let out a feeble laugh. He looked around with a worried stare.

“Let’s get everything set up.” Gladio tried to distract them. They got to work quickly, first the trap all around the perimeters, then the tent, and then the fire. It was well after midnight when they finished.

The camp wasn’t very far from Lestallum, maybe an hour. They could still see the glow of the city lights in the distance.

“How are we doing this tonight?” Noct plopped into a chair next to Prompto, who had been sitting and idly looking through his phone.

“Prompto can sleep, he’ll get woken when we need to confirm a sighting.”

Gladio caught how Prompto tensed and sagged.

“I’ll join as well.” Ignis adjusted his glasses. Prompto’s face was too easy to read, the way his eyes widened at that.

“Gladio, Noctis, can you go first?”

“Sure.” He got up and stretched, cracked a few joints. “I’m ready to punch this thing in face.”

“You cannot touch it,” Ignis moved quickly in front of him. “Do you understand me?”

He raised his arm up. “Okay. okay.”

“You see it, you wake us up. But we need see what this one looks like. I have some final theories, and I need the data. I need to see it up close. “

“You’re gonna go up to it?”

“While its focused on you, yes.”

“I feel so used.” Gladio made a mocking gesture, hand to heart. Ignis rolled his eyes.

“Wake us the instant the trap goes off.”

“Ya ya.”

Ignis and Prompto climbed into the tent. Gladio sat in a chair on the other side of the fire, facing the opposite direction.

“You’re an idiot.” Noctis said, what felt like hours later.

“Probably,” he stretched and scanned the horizon. It was dark all around them, but he strained to see anything shifting in the blackness. Noctis looked like he was pouting. Gladio thought back to the conversations they had back before they were on the run, about all of them having feelings for Noctis.

“You jealous?” Gladio finally asked, after getting tired of feeling Noct’s eyes boring holes into the side of his face.

“What?!” He nearly shouted, then winced at the sound of his own voice. “Jealous?”

“Me and Iggy. Does that bug ya?”

“No.” He said in the way that showed it absolutely _did_.

Gladio sighed, hand on his knee, and pushed up and walked over to Noct. He stared up with narrowed and confused eyes. Gladio collected his shirt in his good hand at the collar and pulled him up to standing. Noct stumbled but followed, his hands pushing on Gladio’s chest.

“The hell!” He tried to pull away.

Gladio leaned down so their noses brushed.

Noctis froze.

“Is it because you got Iggy but not me?”

“Let me go for fuck’s sake.” Noctis smacked his chest again. Gladio released him and stepped back. Gladio shook it off. Maybe he was imagining things - he had to focus on the fact that something was coming for him. For _them_ , and he needed to figure out how to protect them. He took a step back.

Noctis sat down. Gladio tried not to make eye contact as he returned to his seat. They were all stressed, exhausted, and scared.

“There are still some things,” Noctis said lowly, “that we can try. To see how this whole thing works.”

Gladio finally looked at him. “Like?”

“I’m,” Noctis fidgeted, looked over and away, “I don’t know entirely.”

Gladio grunted. He looked at his phone and saw it had been a couple of hours.

He sat up a little more and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Let’s get through tonight first,” he said without looking at Noct, “then we can test shit.”

“Fine.”

He felt his eyes dropping after the fourth hour. He stood up and stretched his back. “Where the hell is this thing?”

When no answer came, he saw Noct had fallen asleep in his chair, chin touching his chest.

“Course.”

He walked the perimeter of the area. Maybe this one was slower, maybe they had more time. Or maybe something happened to it, would be the best option. Somehow. He walked back to the fire, and turned to warm his back, looking out over the moonlit river.

He heard a sound like something was dropped, and then rustling behind him. “Finally, you wake up-”

As he turned, he saw across the fire, next to Noctis, something - no, _someone_ else. They were on their knees, and slowly standing up. A quick once over, Gladio saw dust from the cliff over them.

He stepped back as the thing stood to its full height, towering over the fire. It wore a dark blue robe that hung in tattered pieces over it. The eyes were wide and unblinking, a darkness all around the edges, and focused directly on him. Up the arms there was the same strange darkness from the eyes, creeping up both limbs.

Gladio was so caught up in staring, he missed the arm that rose up and swiped down. Pain erupted on the left side of his face. He cried out and stumbled backwards, managing to dodge a swipe from the other hand.

He touched his face and growled at seeing his hand covered in blood. “Son of a - Iggy! Out! Now!”

Noctis jolted awake. He screamed when he saw the thing and flew out of the chair, scrambling away, as the others ran out of the tent.

It started to walk toward Gladio. And fuck, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so _scared_. Knowing this thing would kill him, gruesomely and without remorse, made his instincts kick into high gear. He took a few steps back. The thing didn’t speed up its pace, even though Gladio was right in front of it.

Ignis stood next to it, not touching it. Studying it.

“Are you alright?” Ignis looked back and forth between them.

“I’ve had worse,” He wouldn’t admit how much it hurt in that moment, there was no point. Bigger problems were in front of them.

The thing turned its head to Ignis. He recoiled and pulled away quickly. Gladio’s heart might have stopped as he stood there, waiting for something to go wrong. After a few beats, the thing slowly turned away from Ignis to face Gladio once more. It took a step forward.

Gladio walked backwards. He took off his shirt, dropped his pants, and kept going until he hit the water. He waded out, hoping that the test from before would prove true still. He doused his shirt in the water and pressed it against his face. He hissed at the pain, but the cooling sensation was also a relief.

He stopped when the water hit his waist and waited. Prompto and Noctis followed Ignis, who had a fucking flashlight on the thing like it wasn’t something that could snap him in half if it felt like it.

Despite being able to see the threat now, he still somehow felt helpless. “Careful!”

“It’s alright. I think as long as I’m not getting in the way of it getting to you, it leaves me alone.”

“Have either of you seen this one before?”

Ignis and Noctis shook their heads.

“But it reminds me of sketches of the Founder King.”

“King Somnus?”

“Precisely.”

As Gladio studied the lit-up face, he could see a slight resemblance to Noctis, just to the side of him. He didn’t fucking like it at all.

Somnus...the thing...whatever the fuck it was, stood still at the edge of the water. Small waves lapped at his toes. He stared only at Gladio.

Gladio, meanwhile, shivered from the cold water, night air, and pain down his face. “What’s the plan, guys?”

Ignis turned his light to Gladio. He winced at the brightness.

“Can you cross the river? We can meet you on the road on the other side. It will have to walk until it can find a road. Gives us some time.”

“Sure, not like it’s the middle of the night and freezing or anything.” He kept walking backwards to make sure it didn't suddenly decide to walk in the water. It stayed still, head tilted, watching him. Gladio sure hoped Ignis was able to figure out something about this fucker. Or these. Whatever. Once on the shore, he started to move downriver. The thing followed on the other side, but moved slowly.

So Gladio started running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone having A Time here oops


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> W̤͕͎̮h̨e̥͞n̘̭͕ ̵̖̙̼̩w̩̯̠̣ͅe̟̥̣̠͍ ̘̣̩͎̗̱ạ͇̬̥̠̤̣͞l̰l͍̳̞͜ͅ ̻͢f̶̹a̮͍͜l͙̣͇͕̜̺̲l̟̻ ̱̠̟̬͎a̭͍͓͉̠͕̠s҉̹͓l͓͎̪̩̣e̼̱͜e̯p̲̬̯͙̦͚,̺͇̞̣̟̣ w͍͍̜̻̞h͕̠͖͎͈̩e̠̝̙̙r̰̱͡e̝ ̛d̩͎͍͡o̵̱ ͚w̭e ̢̝̲̱g̻͈̻͔̼͈o͕̠?͙̘͈̙
> 
>   
>   
> “H-hey, Luna. Long time no talk.” 
> 
> _“I can’t remember the last time you actually called - is everything all right?”_
> 
> He thought about Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio in the hotel room. How they were literally putting their lives on the line for him. It wasn’t fair. They didn’t deserve this. He took another deep breath.
> 
> “No, it’s not. I wanted to see if you could help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that this is a thriller story with explicit sexual content! 
> 
> Also this is the last chapter, featuring a very confused, tired, and angry Noctis. 
> 
> Here we go, buckle up.

Noctis regretted a lot of things in his life. Ditching classes. Disappointing his dad. Late nights playing video games.

But he never thought he would regret something as simple as a coffee date, as they fled for their lives with Gladio acting as bait for some kind of monster.

It would have been enough to regret that date with Dino because he hadn’t thought he’d ever have a chance with any of his closest friends, when in fact he did. But apparently the universe just really liked to fuck with him. How long had they all been dancing around each other when they didn’t need to? And then it took _this_ , to get them to all talk to each other.

“Hope Gladio’s okay.” Prompto’s soft voice from the front passenger seat of the car pulled him back to the present. His chest ached a dull pain, radiating out and seeping into his hands. He curled his hands into fists to fight off the urge to cry. Noctis hated not knowing what to say to help. Not that he had since this whole thing started. He felt like most of the time he was drifting on a river, floating with the current and unable to catch hold of anything to help him get to shore.

But Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto...They had kept him afloat so he didn’t drown under the weight of everything.

“Gladio should be able to outrun it with no problem,” Ignis sped up the car in the direction of where Gladio would be meeting them.

Prompto didn’t reply. He leaned against the window with a sigh. Noctis couldn’t make out his expression, but he imagined it was about the same as all of theirs. Worried. Scared. Angry.

“So, what's your theory.” Noctis leaned forward and gripped the back of Ignis’s seat. He didn’t like the silence between them all lately; it was heavy. Too heavy.

Prompto sat up and was instantly canting towards Noctis so their temples touched. It wasn’t the time for it, Noctis knew, but still he allowed himself to nuzzle against Prompto, just a little. And Prompto didn't pull away. Noctis brought one hand up to rest on the back of Prompto’s neck, a silent plea to keep him there.

Noctis appreciated them all, for being there for him. Knowing that there were shared feelings there had Noctis kicking himself every second because what they were building now, it was everything he wanted. And once again he was so mad that it took _this_ to get there.

Ignis cast a quick look at the two of them, sighed, and kept his eyes forward. “Somehow, it is related to the past kings and queens of Lucis. But someone not of noble blood had it before you, Noct, so I don’t believe it is targeting the Lucis Caelum bloodline specifically. Especially since it can be transferred to anyone. But someone, or something has to have started this with intent.”

Noctis groaned and planted his forehead against the back of the seat. “How is this even real?”

“I don’t know,” was all Ignis could offer. The words sounded foreign coming from him.

Noctis leaned against Prompto’s seat more, and with his free hand reached for one of Prompto’s.

Ignis chanced another glance at them. “You must be careful, Noct.”

“Relax, I can’t give it to Prompto. And don’t act all innocent, like you two haven’t fooled around.”

“Noct!” Prompto tried to pull away, but Noctis held him in place. Ignis pinched his nose and sighed. He pulled over to the side of the road, where Noctis assumed Gladio would be showing up any minute. He hoped.

Ignis put the car in park. “We must all be careful. I admit I may have...slipped up...”

“Can we not talk about this _please_.” Prompto whined and tugged his hand away from Noctis.

He wanted to push the subject more because there was more to this, if Ignis and Prompto had also been together. Things were forming in Noctis’s mind, but he needed more proof, more evidence that he wasn’t imagining things, to quell the anxiety in fear in his gut.

Gladio appeared over the edge of the cliff. He was shivering, and the wound on his face had dried a dark red.

Gladio clamored into the backseat like a garula. “Astrals fuck this shit I’m freezing but my face also feels like it’s on fire.”

Noctis sat back and threw one of their blankets over him. “How far back is it?”

“I stopped looking. Can we go please.” Gladio shivered and pulled the blanket around himself more. Noctis leaned forward and studied his face.

“How bad is it?”

“Honestly? Pretty bad.” Noctis tentatively touched Gladio’s cheek near the angry, swollen open wound. It ran from above his eyebrow, down the side of his face. Gladio hissed a little and winced.

Noctis pulled away, but he didn’t stop looking Gladio in the eyes. “You’re lucky it didn't get your eye. Or worse.” Something tight in his throat made his voice feel small. But it was another close call. He didn’t know how many more of these he could face.

“Hey, it didn’t get me though, okay?” Gladio’s face softened. “I’m alright.” He wrapped his good arm around Noctis, and he welcomed it, sliding over and under, resting his head against Gladio’s chest as the car rumbled along. He let his eyes slip shut.

“We’ll stop at another motel and get Gladio cleaned up. We will just need to be on the move soon after.”

“Sounds good, Iggy.”

Gladio grunted in response. It vibrated against Noctis, and was comforting. They were all still there, together. A part of Noctis was mad that Ignis and Gladio had subjected themselves to this fate alongside him, but on the other he also weirdly appreciated not being alone. He kept having this problem of conflicting thoughts and it was another thing adding to his exhaustion.

“Noct,” Ignis’s voice was rough when he spoke again, “your phone charged?”

“Yeah, think so, why?” He begrudgingly sat up. Gladio slid his arm around so that his hand could rest on Noctis’s knees. Noctis swallowed. He reached out and rested his hand over Gladio’s; he instantly relaxed a little, turning his hand over to interlace their fingers. Something in the gesture was so simple, and yet so. Fuck he needed that. He really did.

Of course they all knew what he needed. They were all amazing. He didn't deserve them.

He closed his eyes again but didn’t let go of Gladio’s hand.

“You should call Lunafreya.”

Noctis nearly flew into the back of Ignis's seat. Gladio’s arm raising up at his waist kept him from doing so. “What?!”

“She studied the Cosmogony. She might be the only person who could help at this point.”

“I’m-”

“Noctis, this isn’t the time to be worried about pretense or being shy. Once it’s morning, you should call her.” There wasn’t any room in Ignis’s comment for debate after that.

Prompto looked over his shoulder at Noctis with a face that screamed _sorry bro_. He fell back and took his phone out of his pocket. It was three in the morning for them, which meant it was eight in Altissia.

“Fine.”

Apparently pleased with that response, Ignis drove on in silence.

He pulled up his last texts with Luna from a few weeks prior. She had been traveling through Altissia, doing field research on her theory that the gods were once real, and that some of the older temples on Eos were proof. She had started the research in Lucis, documenting ruins, and it had landed her an invitation to a project on the island.

Honestly it did all sound way cooler than anything Noctis was doing with his life before all this started.

Ignis was right, though. With all her research, she could potentially understand what was going on, maybe even help them figure out a solution. And not think they were crazy in the process.

Once at a rest stop, everyone got out of the car. Ignis quickly secured a room. Prompto wrapped his arm around Gladio’s waist and followed Ignis to a door. Ignis let the other two in, then looked back at Noctis. He gestured to his phone, and Ignis nodded before going inside.

He sat at one of the tables and shivered from the cold seeping through the metal. They had fallen into a rhythm during the chaos of how they each took care of things, and each other.

He sighed, and pulled his hoodie up over his head. Looked down at his phone sitting on the table, almost threatening. He promised Ignis he would do this.

He hit call.

Hung up.

He rubbed his face with his hands. Noctis still couldn't entirely believe that this was real. Maybe this was all a bad dream, he fell asleep in the movie with Dino and any minute he would wake up. He would get the fuck out of there and run back to the guys, and immediately confess everything; make up for all the lost time.

He closed his eyes. Pinched his left hand between his thumb and index finger. The dull pain didn’t wake him up in a movie theater, or a car. He was still sitting outside a rest stop, Gladio was still injured, and they were still on the run from _something_.

Apparently, something that could be linked to the ancient myths of his family.

He took in a deep breath. He opened his eyes and hit the call button again before he could delay it anymore.

_“Noctis?”_

“H-hey, Luna. Long time no talk.”

_“I can’t remember the last time you actually called - is everything all right?”_

He looked up at the sky, at the stars above them. It had been a long time since he had heard her voice. He had gotten so caught up in life - and it wasn’t like he had been doing anything really. Things had been pretty normal and mundane, but he had been so swept up in just existing, between his apartment and one of the guys’, video games, pizza, arcade nights out. He really had no excuse to give except that he had just been existing in a bubble.

Luna had been a family friend since before he knew any of them, though. But she was also the most understanding and kind person he knew.

He thought about Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio in the hotel room. How they were literally putting their lives on the line for him. It wasn’t fair. They didn’t deserve this. He took another deep breath.

“No, it’s not. I wanted to see if you could help.”

* * *

Noctis walked in after Ignis opened the door to the room at his knock. They all stared at him, and he knew they wanted something, anything that would give them hope. He had been on the phone for almost an hour, despite how his fingers had started to go numb from the cold.

He could have sat in the car, but in the back of his mind he had wanted the vantage point of being able to easily watch the direction the creature would have been coming from.

It had been a bit harder than he had thought to talk through everything, but in the end it was Luna, so once he started, it all came spilling out of his mouth, every detail, everything they had tried, what hadn’t worked. it had been humiliating and terrible and...

She had told him to remember to breath. So he did again before speaking.

“She says we should go to Altissia as soon as possible. She can work with us on this. There’s...a big library there, that focuses on the research into the gods and kings. She thinks there could be something there.”

For the first time in days, Ignis looked hopeful. “Has she ever even heard of this?”

“No, but.” He cleared his throat. “She said there’s been. Other stuff. Happening.”

“Other stuff?”

He nodded and shrugged one shoulder. “She didn’t go into detail, but she just said we should get over there as soon as we can. That this could be something connected to her research, which means she might be able to help.”

They all sat up a little more. Noctis hoped this wasn’t false hope he was giving them. Luna had been vague with the details - it had sounded like she was already on a site so there might have been people around. But the basic idea he got from her that he - they - weren’t crazy. That was validating at least.

Ignis clasped his hands together. “Well perhaps that would stall it, if it can’t get over water. Give us some time to look into this without always looking over our shoulders.”

Gladio moved to place his feet on the floor and reached for his jacket. “So, your father’s yacht is still the plan?”

“Ya, let’s go. Cape Caem.”

Meanwhile, Prompto had curled up in the other bed. He had been looking through his phone, mouth pinched tight. Noctis itched to go to him.

“First,” Ignis touched Gladio on the bicep. There was something so soft to the gesture that it made Noctis squirm, “we should rest until sunrise.”

“But-,”

“We have a little bit of time. Get some rest, Noct.” Ignis turned and began to undress for bed.

Noctis sat on the edge of Prompto’s bed, unsure what to do. He knew Prompto was upset about a lot. It was like he said - Prompto was watching them all together and even though it was weird to be jealous given the circumstances, he knew Prompto couldn't help it.

That wasn’t why he had opened up to Prompto that night in the tent while Ignis and Gladio had been on watch. That had been more like...knowing then how the guys felt, it was freeing. All his pent-up feelings being able to be acted upon, it took over the logical part of his brain that had screamed _hey this isn't the time, idiot._

Maybe that was what the whole near-death thing did to them all. This thing could find them and pick them off one by one. Easily. They hadn’t witnessed the worst of it, but Noctis had followed the news when he had left them for a few days. He had seen the brutal way the bodies had been found, mangled to the point where authorities weren’t even entirely sure what the cause of death was except it had been someone who had the capability to do horrific things without remorse.

They had only gotten a taste of its strength.

“‘Night, Noct.” Prompto whispered. He slid under the covers and rolled over to face away from the door. Ignis and Gladio had also gotten into bed.

“Night…”

Ignis turned off the bedside lamp. Noctis laid down on his back, staring up at the ceiling cast in soft silver moonlight. He folded his hands on his chest to resist reaching out to Prompto.

He didn’t want anything bad to happen to any of them. But something about _Prompto_ just made his chest ache in a different way. Ignis and Gladio, they had been friends since he was young. Despite the Lucis Caelum line not being royalty anymore, the three families had stayed close for over a century, and that just. Felt different. Ignis and Gladio would always be there, to help keep Noctis on track with life and to train and protect him.

Prompto was just _a guy_. A great guy but still just a guy who didn't deserve to get wrapped up in whatever this was with his dead ancestors haunting and hunting them to their deaths.

After talking with Luna, and her cryptic advice, he wasn’t entirely convinced that this didn’t have anything to do with his bloodline. Knowing it was the kings and queens past, and maybe somehow was tied to the ancient Astrals...

She had only alluded there was something bigger going on, bigger than the four of them could fathom. Luna had dodged answering his questions, saying it was better to discuss together in Altissia, where she had all her research, but still -

Noctis curled up on his side, back to Prompto’s sleeping form. He listened to his shallow breathing and wondered if he was just pretending to be asleep.

He wanted to apologize so badly for putting them all through this. He wished so much that this wasn't happening. But this was all out of his control and all he could do was follow whatever lead they found and hope for a solution.

* * *

“Noct, hey buddy,” Prompto’s voice at his ear as he shook his shoulders stirred him awake.

He blinked a few times against the light of the lamp in the room. Looking at the window, the sun had barely risen.

He rubbed at his eyes and sat up a little. The other bed was empty.

“Ignis and Gladio are getting some supplies at the market across the road.” Prompto rolled to sit up and pulled on his boots. His voice was scratchy and distant. “They asked us to gas up the car and eat some breakfast, they’ll join us.”

All Noctis wanted to do was bury himself under the covers and ignore everything. They had only slept for about two hours - he could see even in Prompto how the days were getting to him. He hadn’t styled his hair in days; it hung flat against his head. There were dark circles under his eyes, and overall his eyes were puffy. Today he was wearing his glasses.

The least Noctis could do for his friends was wake up when asked.

So, he pulled himself up to sitting as Prompto stood, and convinced himself to get dressed and followed his friend out the door. He tucked his arms into his hoodie to brace against the chill of the early morning air. Prompto did the same, falling into step with Noctis so their elbows brushed against each other as they headed to the car.

The touch gave him hope. Maybe Prompto wasn’t mad at him.

They got to the car and Prompto got to filling the tank. Noctis leaned against the trunk, looking out at the road where they came from. It felt like all they did lately was sleep and look over their shoulders. He hoped that being on the boat would provide them some time to rest and not live in constant fear.

As he stood there, then, cresting over the horizon, a figure came into view. Noctis straightened up.

_No._

It was a person, walking on the side of the road. They were too far away to see any features, but they had a strange gait to their walk, and their hands hung at their sides. Noctis swallowed. Prompto said something, but he didn’t catch it, the words sounding like they were underwater.

They hadn't seen them all, not yet, if they were all dead kings, who knew how many there were, and what they all looked like, and. What if only some of them were slow? Ignis and Gladio were just in the market unawares, and this thing could walk in there and in an instant...

He stepped away from the car. It kept moving, walking at the same pace. Never looking around, only facing forward.

Noctis popped the trunk and grabbed the bat. Prompto said something again. He slammed the trunk and stormed over to the side of the road. He distantly heard Prompto shouting his name but he didn’t care - he was going to stand up to this thing, finally. He was tired of being chased. Of the ones he cared about most risking their lives for him.

He walked faster towards the figure - it was a man this time. Dressed all in white like Ardyn had been. Noctis couldn't see if there were any marks on him like the others. As he neared, it made eye contact with him.

Noctis rolled his shoulders and held back the tears in his eyes.

“Noct!” Prompto screamed from behind, clearly this time. But he didn’t turn around. It wouldn't matter; Prompto couldn’t see what he was walking towards, which made this even worse.

He raised the bat in the air and prepared to charge.

“Oy!” The bat was pulled out of his hands. When he spun around, Gladio held it up in the air out of his reach.

Noctis shoved Gladio and tried to get to the bat. “Don't you see! It already followed us, get out of here Gladio, it’s going for you!”

“Noct!” Prompto grabbed his arm. He made to shrug out of it. The thing had stopped moving and watched them, studying them. Panic rose up his throat. Gladio took his other arm and he struggled more. He didn’t understand why no one else was scared when it was _right there_.

“You have to get out of here!” Noctis screamed and kicked at the dirt. Prompto and Gladio held him, and Ignis walked up to them. “What are you doing out here?! You have to go!” He looked over his shoulder. It hadn’t moved yet. He couldn’t breathe, his lungs were on fire.

“Noct, Noct!” Prompto pulled his shoulder to force Noctis to face him. “Noct, I can see him. All in white, right?”

Noctis inhaled a deep breath. He wheezed.

“Noct it’s okay, it's fine, I can see him.”

Noctis looked at the man again. He could tell, now, the guy looked scared, and that was probably why he had stopped moving.

Noctis deflated as the realization of what he'd almost done crashed over him. He fell to his knees. Gladio and Prompto released him. He put his palms down and he dragged his fingers through the gravel. He let out a few rattling breaths mixed with sobs of relief.

Through the tears clouding his vision he saw the familiar black pants of Prompto in front of him. Pale hands rested on top of his own.

Noctis sniffled as Prompto pressed their foreheads together. Prompto took in a long breath. Noctis mimicked him. They released it at the same time. He followed Prompto’s lead until his pulse slowed.

They stayed like that until the man eventually walked by them. Gladio gave a gruff greeting. The sounds of footsteps faded away.

“You’re okay,” Prompto whispered. Under different circumstances Noctis would believe him. But his hope was fading faster than he could manage.

Prompto gripped his hands. "Noct, you're okay. Come on, let's get you back inside.”

Noctis took another shaky breath. He nodded.

He let Gladio help him to his feet. They stood on either side of him and walked him towards the motel. Ignis had already pulled the car away from the gas pump. He couldn't even do something as simple as that.

He was a mess. Fuck.

Once in the room he dove right into the bathroom, got out of his clothes and turned the shower on a hot as it would go. He stood under it until his skin was red and the steam in the room was almost suffocating.

The weight of it all haunted him. He wasn’t alright, none of them were, and there was nothing he could do about it here.

They needed to get to Altissia.

He turned the shower off. He listened to the sounds of the water dropping to the floor from the showerhead.

Being with each of them had been a distraction at least. He didn't have to think about anything but the moment, put aside all the bad shit going on around them. Maybe, just maybe, it could be the same for them. It wouldn’t make them alright, and it wouldn’t solve anything, but it could make things a little more fucking manageable.

Maybe that's what he could do for them.

He toweled off his hair, wrapped a towel around his waist, and opened the door.

Prompto was curled up on one bed focused on his phone once more. Ignis was sitting in the armchair going through one of the books he had taken from Gladio, who was laying on his back, hands folded over his chest, staring up at the ceiling.

They all looked up at him though as he entered the room.

Noctis stilled. He lifted his chin.

“Do you…” he wasn't sure how to say anything now, suddenly. Everything he had thought to say while in the shower escaped him. Putting to words ‘ _hey how about we just all fool around together until we can’t think anymore’_ , just didn't feel. What, romantic? Is that what they could be, in the midst of all this bullshit? Noctis felt stupid for even thinking like this.

“I think,” Ignis spoke slowly, which meant he was thinking through his words very carefully, “you should get some more sleep.”

Noctis tried to hide the disappointment in his face. He could see some of it reflected in Prompto’s tired eyes.

He went back into the bathroom and got into his pajamas. Once back out he didn’t look any of them in the eye before crawling under the covers next to Prompto. He curled up with his back to him and blankets pulled up over his eyes.

He closed his eyes and just hoped he could sleep.

* * *

“Noct, hey, rise and shine. We’re about outta time.”

“Ngh,”

“I know buddy but come on. We’re already pushing our luck.” Prompto tapped his cheeks. Noctis swiped at him once. Prompto caught his hand.

Noctis opened his eyes. Once again they were alone in the room.

  
“They’re getting everything in the car.” Prompto whispered. He was stretched out alongside Noctis, one arm draped over his waist.

“Prom,” Noctis croaked out with a desperation he hadn’t expected from himself. But then Prompto was there, where he wanted, needed him, pressed against him on the bed, mouth to chest to hips.

Noctis inhaled in the taste of him. Their arms wrapped around each other as they kissed, slow and soft, desperate and deep. He tugged at the soft strands of Prompto’s hair and clung to him tight.

Prompto was the one who pulled away, dotting his cheeks with kisses before finally sitting up. Noctis whined and clung to his arms. “They’re waiting at the car. I'm pretty sure we don't want them to have to come in looking for us.”

Prompto was right of course, but he just felt like everything could change, so quickly. Could shift in ways he couldn't even imagine.

But once again, he forced himself to get up and get dressed. They joined hands as they walked out the door and towards the car. Ignis and Gladio stood at the passenger door, leaning close to each other.

Noctis couldn't stop himself from looking up the road. Just to be safe.

It was empty. He let out a breath as he got the car.

"Next stop should be Cape Caem, and then we are on the boat for Altissia." Ignis reminded them. They all got into their seats - Ignis driving, Prompto in the front. He and Gladio in the back.

"Everyone take care of their personal business?" Ignis asked as he started the car.

Noctis sat up a little as the other two nodded their heads. And it hit him more. Of course, they had to put their lives completely on hold. Prompto was an aspiring photographer, and he didn't even have his camera on him. And he had gotten that gig as an assistant, but it had promise for him eventually being able to do his own stuff.

Gladio and Ignis, though they worked for the Lucis family, still had their own lives. Ignis had been working on getting his doctorate. Gladio was looking into opening his own self-defense training studio.

And then Noctis had to go and fuck everything up.

He curled up against the door and tried to sleep again. It seemed like that was all he could do lately. He tossed and turned, until firm hands gripped him and pulled until his head rested in Gladio's lap. He almost fought back - he didn't deserve their kindness. But Gladio rested his hand on Noctis's head, and he couldn’t help but curl up against the warm body heat. He drifted off to sleep with the murmurs of everyone and the engine of the car lulling him.

* * *

"Hey, sleeping beauty," Gladio didn't shake him awake, but instead whispered low with lips pressed against his temple. For a beat, Noctis arched up into the contact until he remembered himself. When he met Gladio’s eyes, he was smiling.

Noctis cleared his throat and yawned as he sat up. They both got out of the car - it was dark, so they would need to stay the night before setting off he would bet.

"Let's load up everything in the boat tonight that we don't need." Ignis instructed.

Noctis felt like they were all on autopilot, sorting out what they needed for the night and packing the rest away in the yacht.

Once everything was settled, Noctis stood on the deck looking out over the water. It was quiet all around them, save for the sound of the waves lapping against the boat and a bird every now and then.

"Noct," he was surprised it was Ignis's voice behind him.

"I'll take first watch." He didn't turn around.

A hand pressed at his lower back. Noctis crossed his arms.

"We have time, come have some dinner first."

Noctis didn't respond. He felt like words were meaningless. He wanted to be distracted or to be sleeping and that was it, he didn't want to think -

"Hey," then Ignis was in front of him, pushing back from the edge of the dock with hands on both his shoulders. "Stop. I know you're blaming yourself and you can't."

"But -"

"No. That doesn't help us. Not now. Our focus is on figuring this out. Together."

He squeezed tight. Noctis stared up at him, at the pleading look in his eyes.

"Fine."

Ignis pulled him into a hug, arms around his shoulders. Noctis let himself go, at that, head buried into Ignis's chests, and let out a few stuttering breaths mixed with sobs. Tears formed and fell down his cheeks, dampening Ignis’s shirt.

"I'm sorry."

"Shh," Ignis rubbed circles into his back. "Come now, let’s eat."

He released Noctis, and led him back up to the cabin. It was a small, cozy place. As they settled around the table and Ignis served them a simple meal of chicken soup he studied the home. He wondered if under different circumstances, he could see they would have all liked to have been there, as...

He paused with his spoon midair.

What, a romantic getaway?

He swallowed hard and looked at the other three, focused on eating. Ignis had said, when this all started, that they all had feelings for him. And Gladio and Prompto had confirmed that as time had gone on. But now were they all... Involved? Or just. Doing this because of the... Life or death thing?

Noctis reached his free hand across the table for Gladio's as he held his drink.

He looked up, studied Noctis.

Then reached out and took the offered hand with a squeeze.

Noctis took another bite of food, but didn't say anything. Prompto’s hand from the right rested on his knee. Ignis's on his shoulder from the left.

Noctis set down his fork and rubbed his eyes with his one free hand.

"You guys," he stuttered again and fuck why were words so hard lately? He dropped his spoon into the bowl.

They didn't interrupt him. A part of him wanted them to.

"I… Th-Thank you. You… You are the best. Really, and.-"

All the hands squeezed. He closed his eyes.

"We're here, Noctis."

"We got your back,"

"Ever at your side."

He took a few breaths to get himself under control. Then pulled his hand away from Gladio and watched as everyone sat back in their seats.

They finished their food in a silence that wasn't comfortable, but wasn't awkward. It was listening.

They were always listening.

Noctis helped Ignis with the dishes while Gladio and Prompto set up more sound traps around the perimeter and tested to make sure they could be heard from their bedrooms.

There wasn't any space big enough for all four of them - not that they had had that at all really. But part of Noctis wanted that. He had caught how the boat had just one large king size bed.

He just wanted to be near them all.

Instead they were split up into the two small rooms - Gladio and Noctis in one, Ignis and Prompto in the other.

Noctis had caught how Prompto had watched him and Gladio though.

In his room, Noctis sat in the chair near the window, charging his phone while playing a game on it. He knew he didn’t need to be on watch, with the trap, but he had slept so much he found himself actually wanting to stay awake.

Listening. Always listening.

As it neared midnight, he could swear he heard something coming from the other room, and only wished he could be there with them.

He focused on his game and let the hours slide by.

* * *

Morning came. Nerves were high at breakfast. Every hour it hadn't shown up yet, just meant it was still on its way to them. Noctis had managed to stay awake the whole night, and a part of him had almost wished it would have shown up, so they at least had known where it was.

They got the last of their supplies loaded into the boat, and stood on the dock, looking up at the lighthouse.

"Well," Gladio broke the silence.

"Yes, seems it's time to start this."

"Goodbye, Lucis!" Prompto waved, trying to be cheerful. In another world. He could have been taking selfies of them, to capture these moments. But that was a far off from where they were.

Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio stepped onto the boat.

“Ah, I need to leave the key to the cabin under the mat as requested.” Ignis took a soft jog back towards the cabin.

Ignis would be driving first, which meant Noctis could nap. He collapsed on Prompto's lap after he sat in one of the seats on the deck of the yacht. Gladio stepped downstairs.

Noctis sighed and closed his eyes. He heard Prompto yawn, then felt fingers running through his hair. The sun beat down on his skin, and it was nice to feel warm. The sounds of the waves lapping against the boat were comforting.

For the first time in over a week, he felt like maybe they could finally rest.

"Iggy?" Prompto shouted. Noctis opened one eye. Prompto was looking over his shoulder.

“What’s up?”

“I don’t see him.”

Noctis closed his eye and settled against Prompto’s stomach. “I’m sure he’s just double checking everything.”

Prompto’s hand stilled in his hair. “Ya, you’re probably right.”

A beat of silence. “Prom?”

“Shit,” Prompto made to stand. Noctis rolled away and sat up. “Iggy!”

Ignis was running towards them. One sleeve of his shirt was missing.

“Start the boat!” Ignis shouted as he kept running down the hill. Prompto jumped back and towards the front, and the engine roared to life. Noctis kept his eyes on Ignis.

He still didn’t see what he was running from, but as Ignis got closer, Noctis saw he was injured. The bare arm had red scratches down it. Noctis worried how it could have caught Ignis off guard.

Ignis took a leap onto the deck. Noctis helped him get the rope untied.

“Go Prompto!”

They lurched forward as the yacht took off. Gladio came up the stairs.

“What the hell is going on?” His eyes landed on Ignis and widened.

“Can you take him downstairs and clean him up?” Noctis walked Ignis over. Now on the boat, he looked dazed.

“Apologies,” he muttered, “I was...surprised.”

Noctis looked back towards the shore. The others did as well, but by that point all they could see was the silhouette of a figure standing at the edge of the dock, what looked like a cape blowing in the wind.

“It’s okay, Iggy,” Noctis whispered. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

* * *

Ignis’s wound had luckily been not very deep, just angry red scratches. But he wouldn’t talk about what he saw, so it was dropped not long after they had taken off.

They anchored near a small island at sunset. Prompto cooked dinner, and despite everything that had happened, for the first time in days they were laughing. It was kind of amazing, not having to listen, to not be on the alert. By all accounts, they were safe, as long as they were across the water.

After dinner, Noctis demanded they put in one of the shitty movies they had a disc for on, and all curl up in bed together. He was pleased when no one said no.

So they were then all in their pajamas and shirts, lying in a messy pile. Gladio and Ignis sat with their backs against the headboard, while Noctis was on his back between Gladio’s legs and Prompto laid sideways with his head in Ignis’s lap.

Noctis didn't comment on how Prompto was purposefully kept away from Gladio. Nor on how they so easily just felt at ease with each other like this.

Halfway through the movie, Noctis decided to test the waters - being out here, the thoughts just cut into all the laughter. He didn't have to worry about _it_ , sure, but he still had to think about the consequences. Think about what they still needed to do. His friends’ lives he had upended. And now they were about to walk into Luna's life and do the exact same thing to her.

He let a hand slide up Gladio's thigh, and then drag back down. Slow, deliberate.

The fourth time, Gladio shifted. One hand drifted across Noctis’s belly. He arched a little. Gladio pushed back.

The large hand flattened against his belly. That alone had the heat building up to nearly bubbling over in his body. Noctis slid his hand behind him to graze close to Gladio's groin, fingernails dragging across the soft fabric of his sweatpants.

Prompto’s hand appeared in his peripheral, sliding up the other thigh. Gladio made a sound in his throat and the three of them sighed in unison.

"You lot," Ignis let out a small laugh.

But when Noctis peered over expecting a judging look, Ignis was distracted dragging his hand up and down Prompto’s chest. When he saw he was caught, the other moved up into Noctis’s hair.

He was surrounded. He wanted more.

"Guys," Noct begged, and he didn’t care how he sounded anymore. He pulled at Gladio’s pants and with his free hand reached for Prompto’s. "Please."

It was like that word, that one word broke some sort of wall. Because then Prompto rolled into his lap, his hands moving up Noctis’s thighs and tugging at his waistband. Ignis was at his neck, mouthing at his skin. And Gladio was adjusting him so he sat on his growing erection and -

"Fuck, please, _please_ ," he could cry, and it seemed foolish, but he just wanted this, to feel them all around him. To know they were still there.

"We got you," Ignis whispered against his collarbone.

“You’re okay,” Prompto echoed.

And this time, Noctis knew it was true.

Clothes were removed reverently and quickly. Noctis let his head fall back against Gladio's shoulder as Prompto's mouth descended on him.

He gasped and ground down against Gladio as Prompto took him without mercy. He groaned with want, with need. He wanted all of them. All of it.

While distracted by watching Prompto, he barely noted Ignis had vanished a moment and then returned. He heard a bottle, and then more shifting, and then Gladio's fingers were moving inside him. Noctis’s mind went blank with the pleasure, the sensation bringing him closer to what he truly wanted.

He didn't deserve them. But he could give them this. He loved them; he knew it. And he would do everything he could for them ー

Prompto sucked harder, eyes hooded, and lips wet and red. Gladio’s thick fingers worked him, and yet somehow Noctis had enough sense left to reach down and stroke Ignis, gripping tighter with every run of Prompto’s tongue up his length.

But it wasn't enough, there was still so much -

"Gladio,"

There was a grunt of acknowledgement, some movement, and then Gladio pushed inside Noctis. He let out a shout and squeezed his eyes shut, holding tight so no one thought to let go.

This was what he wanted, _yes_ , this distraction from everything, this moment with _them_. He cried out loudly as Gladio began to roll his hips at a slow pace. His hands flew to Gladio’s thighs for support. Ignis descended on his mouth, swallowing his cries. Noctis welcomed it, letting both Gladio and Ignis open him wide.

Their bodies rolled like the ocean waves. It wasn't long before he was coming into Prompto's mouth, bucking his hips and relishing how Prompto kept up, and how the movement made Gladio groan against his neck.

"Fuck," Prompto whispered after he released Noct. He rubbed his stomach, his chest, carefully. Ignis trailed heavy open mouth kisses down his neck, and when Noct opened his eyes he could see Prompto watching as Gladio fucked into him with that long and slow pace. Noct was boneless by this point, letting Gladio lift and lower him.

Ignis's hand was soft on his head, comforting as Gladio’s hips moved frantically, holding Noctis in place as he thrust up harder. Noctis reached out for Prompto and held onto him tight, groaning from the oversensitivity of his body.

Gladio’s warning was sudden as he moaned loudly against Noctis’s shoulder and bit down. He couldn’t help the twinge of heat in his body at the sensation. They all took a few deep breaths.

Noctis let himself sag before he was carefully moved to lying down as Gladio moved off him.

“Ignis-”

“Shh,” Ignis settled beside him, hand on his waist. Noctis took the hand. When Ignis slid forward and kissed him, his chest grew warm. For the first time, they had all let go, had all been together despite everything going on. It gave him a sense of hope for the road ahead of them.

"Ah, Gladio," Prompto whispered.

Noctis’s eyes shot open.

"No!" Ignis shot up. Noctis rolled over in a panic.

Gladio was on all fours, thighs closed around Prompto’s extremely hard cock as it slid between them.

"I'm-" Gladio cleared his throat. "It's okay. Like this, isn’t it?"

“Please let it be okay please,” Prompto gripped Gladio’s waist tight.

He exchanged a look with Ignis, who licked his lips. He nodded. Noctis settled in with his back to Ignis, watching as Prompto thrust himself against Gladio.

Noct chewed on his own lip. He took Ignis in his hand, and placed him between his thighs, still slick with lube.

“Noct,” Ignis let out a shuddering breath against his back. But instead of stopping, Ignis rocked against him faster, matching with Prompto’s pace. Noctis and Prompto locked eyes, and -

Prompto shouted as he came, hard, mumbling what sounded like a mix of their names. Ignis followed, his long fingers digging into Noct’s arm.

Gladio collapsed face first into the bed, Prompto on top of him. They all laid there, the only sounds for some time their breaths and the waves outside.

Noctis started to doze off right where he was.

"That was s’good," Gladio’s voice rumbled. His hand lifted and rested across Noctis’s calf.

Everyone else just hummed in agreement. They were quiet again.

Noctis turned around to look at Ignis, who opened his eyes sleepily.

“We should shower,” Ignis whispered.

“Hmm,” Noctis nuzzled against him more. Ignis didn’t make an effort to move him.

The fog started to lift, and the reality of things set in once more, as Noctis let his fingers drag down the bandages on Ignis’s arm.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Mm yes, Noct?”

"What did you see?"

Ignis pulled away and looked at him. Studied him. It made Noctis fidget.

"A new one that I hadn’t seen before; that I don’t think any of us have."

"What did it look like?"

Ignis still had a weird look. He sat up. “We really should shower.”

Noctis tugged on his hand. "Ignis, we have to all have the same information. No secrets."

He didn’t bother keeping his voice down this time. Prompto and Gladio shifted as well, watching them.

Ignis took a moment to let his gaze rest on each of them, then cleared his throat. He lifted his chin and focused on the ceiling. "He wore all black. It appeared to be very regal attire. Gold chains kept a cloak clasped around his shoulders.”

He paused. Looked down at the floor. Noctis could see his throat tighten.

“Ignis,” Noctis sat up and took his hand.

“There was a hole, in his...its chest. I didn’t notice right away though because of the cloak. As it approached I…”

He finally looked at Noctis. His expression was a combination of sad and confused. But Ignis wouldn't speak anything but the truth of what he saw, so whatever it was it clearly had upset him. Which made sense then how he had been nearly caught.

Ignis sighed before he spoke. He reached up to Noctis’s face, thumb tracing along his cheek, and didn’t stop looking into his eyes.

"I had thought it was you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it to the end, please give me your theories! I hope you don't mind me leaving this a bit open ended; I had debated for so long about how to end this story, but as I kept toying with different ideas, this was still the one I liked the most. I have my own reasons why, so I'm curious to hear what you think! 
> 
> This was my first time writing thriller/horror, and it was a very tough exercise but I really enjoyed it. Thanks to audrey for all their support while I fretted over this. <3 and thank you to everyone who read and commented on this story along the way, I really appreciate it!

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the monster that I've been working on the past few months. Yes this is an It Follows AU, and yes I did this because I wanted to write a thriller/horror polyship roadtrip fic. :3 
> 
> Buckle up, this is gonna be a ride. 
> 
> Catch me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/crazyloststar)!


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